French government not to give special treatment to Ghosn

April 9, 2019

Paris--An official of the French presidential office has indicated the government's unwillingness to give special treatment to former Nissan Motor Co. <7201> Chairman Carlos Ghosn, French radio RTL reported Monday.

The official told the radio that Ghosn, rearrested in Tokyo on Thursday on fresh charges of aggravated breach of trust, should be put on trial in the same way as other suspects.

The official also reportedly said that French judicial authorities are investigating the case just like Japanese authorities and that the government does not have a say in such judicial matter.

The comments came after Ghosn's wife, Carole Ghosn, sought the support of French President Emmanuel Macron in efforts to have the former Nissan chief, a French citizen, released on bail.

In an interview with RTL, Ghosn's wife criticized the Japanese judicial system by saying that her husband has been treated like a criminal although his trial has yet to open and that the principle of assumed innocence has not been respected.

She claimed that France has done nothing except for having the French ambassador to Japan accompany her when she left the Asian country last week. She said she hopes Macron will help her husband leave the detention center.

Ghosn's wife also told RTL that she is ready to return to Japan to be questioned by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. Jiji Press