Tokyo prosecutors seek 2-year sentence for former Nissan executive Kelly

Japanese prosecutors asked a Tokyo court on Wednesday to sentence former Nissan Motor executive Greg Kelly in prison for two years over his alleged part in helping ousted CEO Carlos Ghosn to hide his earnings.

Prosecutors who are also seeking a 200 million yen ($1.8 million) fine for the Japanese automaker have called for the jail sentence for Kelly during their closing arguments in a trial that started a year ago.

A ruling in the case is expected in 2022.

If found guilty Kelly could join two other Americans who are serving prison time in Japan after a court sentenced them in July for helping smuggle Ghosn in a box out of Japan to Lebanon at the end of 2019.

Kelly has rejected the allegations that he helped Ghosn hide 9.3 billion yen of Ghosn’s earnings over eight years through deferred payments. Kelly has said his only goal had been to retain a chief executive who could have been lured away by another automaker.