Ghosn’s Right-Hand Man Released on Bail

December 26, 2018

Tokyo--Former Nissan Motor Co. <7201> Representative Director Greg Kelly was released from the Tokyo Detention House on Tuesday night, after Tokyo District Court decided to approve his release on bail and rejected public prosecutors' complaint against the decision earlier in the day.

Kelly, 62, a key aide to former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, paid 70 million yen to get bailed out.

Kelly had been confined in the detention facility in Tokyo since he was first arrested by the special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office together with his boss on Nov. 19 on charges of dropping part of executive pay to Ghosn off financial statements for fiscal 2010-2014.

The two were rearrested on Dec. 10 for alleged underreporting of Ghosn's executive compensation in books for fiscal 2015-2017. They were indicted over the fiscal 2010-2014 cases the same day.

Ghosn's detention period was extended by 10 days through Jan. 1 upon the prosecutors serving a fresh arrest warrant to him on aggravated breach of trust charges on Friday.

After the release, Kelly said in a comment made available by his lawyer that he has never made misstatements as alleged.

The court barred Kelly from leaving Japan, even temporarily. According to informed sources, he is not allowed to contact Nissan President Hiroto Saikawa or senior Nissan officials who made deals with the prosecutors under Japan's plea bargaining system. Jiji Press