Japan’s top court has rejected an appeal filed by lawyers for former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn against his detention following his rearrest last week over fresh allegations of financial misconduct, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.
The lawyers made the appeal to the Supreme Court on Wednesday after the Tokyo District Court rejected their objection to its approval for an initial 10 days’ detention for Ghosn through Sunday.
The district court also decided Friday to extend the detention period to April 22, but for two days less than what was requested by prosecutors.
The 65-year-old was served a fourth arrest warrant on April 4 following an allegation he misused company funds for personal purposes. His return to detention came after he was released on bail in early March, having been held for 108 days since his initial arrest last November.
The former chairman has already been indicted on charges of violating Japan’s financial instruments law by underreporting remuneration to regulators, and aggravated breach of trust in relation to the alleged transfer of private investment losses to Nissan.
Ghosn, whose nearly two decades of leadership of the automaker came to a sudden end after his initial arrest, has denied any wrongdoing.
The handling of Ghosn’s case has brought Japan’s criminal justice system under international scrutiny, with practices such as detaining a suspect for long periods and conducting interrogations without a lawyer present likened by critics to “hostage justice.”
