The family of the former Nissan Motor Co. director accused of helping Carlos Ghosn violate Japan's pay-disclosure laws is questioning his ability to get a fair trial following Ghosn's flight to Lebanon last month.

Greg Kelly was arrested the same day as Ghosn in late 2018, and the former Nissan executive is prohibited from leaving the country pending the outcome of his case. Without his former boss's testimony, Kelly may not be able to fully defend himself against prosecutors' allegations he violated financial laws, his wife wrote in an email.

"It will be difficult for Greg to get a fair trial with a key witness not available to testify," Donna "Dee" Kelly wrote. The statement echoes remarks her husband made to the Wall Street Journal according to a report published Monday.