A highly unusual move by Tokyo prosecutors to arrest former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn for a fourth time on Thursday morning marked the latest plot twist in an almost five-month legal drama, and could reignite criticism of Japan's judicial system, dubbed by critics as "hostage justice."
In the latest arrest, the prosecutors accused Ghosn — who had been released on bail — of misappropriating Nissan's payments to a distributor in Oman, alleging that some of the money had been siphoned off for his own personal use.
Legal experts interviewed by The Japan Times the same day said the move — to not only bring a new charge against Ghosn but to rearrest him — indicates they are likely to have obtained credible evidence showing Ghosn's culpability.