Ghosn again asks for bail; promises not to flee, pay for security guards

Let us not get ahead of ourselves. Ghosn is not guilty until he is proven guilty in a court of law. While most are concerned with his presumed guilt, Ghosn is fighting a deeper battle— the one against the Japanese criminal justice system itself. He is challenging a system that can detain a person indefinitely over a series of suspicions aimed to break a person to force a confession. Regardless of how the legal case concludes, this deeper battle is more important because it is nation changing. Now that Ghosn has challenged the rationale for detaining him excessively, the court is now forced to provide a reasonable response. Given that Ghosn has offered to strip himself of any means of fleeing, the world is watching how the Japanese government responds. Ghosn has already proven that he can pull off a miracle by saving Nissan from bankruptcy while defeating the traditional Japanese corporate bureaucracy. Are we witnessing Ghosn’s second act by taking on Japan itself? Only time will tell.

The conviction rate in Japan exceeds 99%.

Ghosn chances are slim.

juminRheeJan. 21 10:23 pm JSTIf (if) Ghosn is given bail, he needs to pull The Saint manoeuvre (Val Kilmer movie) and dash into an embassy before the j-cops catch him.

Don't give him any ideas. Somebody might tell him and he might try it.

JohnJan. 21 11:07 am JSTThe flight risk is one thing.

But what about seeking refuge in an embassy ? And on top of that in an embassy of a country with no extradition agreement between that country and Japan ?

French, Lebanon and Brazilian ambassadors already promised to offer any help they can to Ghosn.

Ghosn can make all the promises he wants, but the moment he steps outside the detention center, what does prevent him not to take refuge in an embassy willing to protect him and not giving him back to Japan ?

Exactly. That's why there should be no deal. If Ghosn did commit these crimes, how do we know he wouldn't try to seek refuge in an embassy or even try to buy his way out of Japan with a secret stash of yen in an account in say, Switzerland? No deal.

one has to admit their mistake to advance. guess japan jurisdiction system will remain the same old corrupted way.

@peterEllis

Excellent points

Probably fly over the heads of some posters her.

An ambulance chaser is a "barrister" too. Are we serious? Submarine? If a refugee going to the hospital gets a rope around the waist and handcuffs... what do you think Ghosn will get as a high, high-profile, can-not-let-get-away suspect. Lol... destroy evidence. Japanese celebrities who have been caught with small quantities of drugs have had their entire apartments searched and stuff hauled away. They are obviously looking into his residences and computer files. Plus, it's not like he did all the "crimes" on his own laptop - he doesn't issue his own paycheck.

@Will Goode, but Toyota? Nintendo? Other companies that are actually doing great without the high salaried execs? Let’s just admit it, Nissan’s base employees, those who inherited the reigns and those who might in the future are just incompetent. Without Ghosn, they would have been nothing. Now they removed Ghosn, they will be back to where they belong. Heck, even with just Saikawa as CEO, Nissan is crumbling.

where the income difference between executives and workers is so minimal that company presidents are also called "salarymen." Ghosn has said he deserved pay comparable to other star leaders of global companies.

You pay peanuts you get monkeys, that's why Nissan was going broke twenty years ago !

"I have a genuine love and appreciation for Nissan."

as a personal ATM.

He can do his trial via Skype.

If (if) Ghosn is given bail, he needs to pull The Saint manoeuvre (Val Kilmer movie) and dash into an embassy before the j-cops catch him.

I call for a Vote. Is the Japanese Judicial system seen as being "Fair" or "Corrupt and subjective to outside influences" ?

@Peter ellis - coming from a barrister that is a bit far fetched....come on! As defence would you support this system if he was your client? Even if he agreed to sign a bail undertaking?

I think the man wants what we would all want, his day in court sooner rather than later! If the prosecution has enough evidence, which sounds like they do, then put it before a court/judge and go from there.

Everyone, put yourself in his shoes.

Unfortunately, Ghosn has no bargaining power in his current position. He is guilty until proven guilty - the circumstances won’t change until the intemded circumstances are produced and validated. Then the proper sentence will be given. That’s what I think of this anyway ...

''the Japanese prosecutors: They THINK (assume) Ghosn is a criminal, so they detend him. So you basically JUDGE me based on what you THINK is right for YOU, without regard to actual facts.''

Yes, you have actually accurately described what many are complaining about in this case.

@peter ellis

Given Ghosn's exposure and status escape by helicopter or jet takes imagination but you out did yourself with escape by submarine!

Tomorrow will tell if the Judge has your imagination.

Let's just recap: What crimes Ghosn has been legally convicted of?

Hint: Begins with the letter N.

A veteran cashier woman got fired for supposedly pickpocketing a 50 cent voucher in Germany, whereas bunch of refugees who rape German girls on daily base, and still come out free with no charge and even get financial support from the government.

Wow! Something happened in a country then something else happened in a country. That’s amazing!

@Melody

with all respect it is waste of time replying to you.

@Melody, so you admit what Japan is doing is wrong. Just because some country are worse doesn’t mean Japan is right.

For comparison a Japanese man stalked knocked me down with his car, jumped out and repeatedly kicked me in the head, 'as hard as he could like a soccer ball,' he later confessed. Japanese witnesses to the crime called Meguro police and filed a report. Police later found the perp, brought him in for questioning, permitted and assisted him make statements without verifying anything and let him go without detaining even one night. If this isn't jingoism, racism what is?

I think it's time for everybody to calm down, soon Japan's Justice system will get World Heritage Listing from the UN. And be viewed as what it is an ancient system.

@JBird

Ghosn has addressed all of the Judge's concerns.

Ghosn is still very very rich man. He has another passport and has another private jet always standing by. Bail money is absolutely a little money, almost nothing for him. When he was bailed out, then his jet would come and pick him up to France in night.

@peter ellis

Escape by submarine? A tad far-fetched, surely.

To all haters of Mr. Ghosn, hope you all face the same situation as he did now, then let's hear your comments.

It is 2019 or in 1919?

Freedom & justice for Mr. Ghosn

Lol an ankle bracelet won't stop him from fleeing or destroying evidence, in addition to what he's destroyed already. Hopefully they charge him for that evidence destruction too. Good to see a justice system that actually punishes crims

Wow, the down voters who frequent ni-chan are out in force tonight! Truth tellers, arm your voting thumbs!

@Melody, do you want someone to call the police on you? Try to defend yourself while in detention with no contact to the outside. Oh, your boss will fire you for sure just because you were detained. Your friends will not help you for the fear of having their names tainted. One mistake by someone else and your life is ruined. Don’t think it already happened?

Melody....re:, your imaginary Ghosn's "I have a genuine love for destroying Nissan." Heck, I imagine he does. And rightly so. I, myself, have a genuine love to see Nissan destroyed.

Being a criminal defence Barrister admitidly in the UK I would like to add my "tuppence" to this case. I have read the very comprehensive articles regarding the allegations against Mr. Ghosn in Japan Today and other media. They are very serious and consequently as he very wealthy man with many powerful friends not to possibly include a major European country if I was involved in the prosecution I would consider Mr. Ghosn a high "flight risk".

I could see the scenario where if he was granted bail on whatever condition he has proposed to day or even if he was on permanent house arrest house guarded round-the-clock by Japanese Police there would still be a risk that some external force would try and spirit him out of the country by , say, helicopter or from some isolated part of the coast. There could be a waiting submarine to escort him to, for example, Renault HQ in France.

The French have a reputation of acting in such extreme manner. Does anyone remember the French commando raid on Green Peace ships in New Zealand port several years ago? Best to keep Mr Ghosn remanded in custody and to endeavour to have a trial within 9 months which I would consider reasonable.

It's frightening how many people assume guilt mearly because of being detained. Detained on a secret internal investigation by the company he saved. Now prosecutors need a confession because it would appear his actions were on the edge but not technically illegal. And that's as I understand it not having seen the trial evidence. For a white collar crime continued detention seems a barbaric choice. Hell you can rape someone admit it and never go to court, if you pay compensation and your mother is an ex Idol. A very strange system that's rulings change day to day with no base line other than what's best for the particular judge on a particular day. Hope the Judge for bail had a great evening in Ginza last night curtesy of the prosecution.

He saved Nissan from certain ruin and now the company and Japanese gov't repay him by trying to destroy his reputation and life ! Not surprising Japan has a loooong anti gaijin history of doing such things to foreigners ! Nothing happened to Tepco directors after the worst nuclear disaster in modern times do to absolute negligence BECAUSE no one touches the Japanese ONLY gaijins that is crystal clear now !

Finally the Japanese press/media is focusing on the injustice facing ALL foreigners in Japan AFTER CNN and the foreign media started exposing it ! Don't stop there remember every Japanese prime minister that apologized for corruption when did they ever get prosecuted ? Let's face it folks Japan is a very racist, unfair country and society when it comes to EQUAL justice !

Yeah yeah they all say they won't flee, until they do. The risks are too high, keep him detained

Offers passport, he has 3 of them :)

It's obvious the Judge would require ALL passports and Ghosn did say "that he would accept any and all" requirements.

@Melody

"I have a genuine love and appreciation for Nissan."

That, in itself, is not a reason to release him.

But,

"I have a genuine love for destroying Nissan." Better keep him detended.

Is not a reason to NOT release him on bail either!

I would imagine that France is looking at all the options for a merger with or without Ghosn. It will be interesting!

I trust him to stay n Japan or even to return from France.

"I have a genuine love and appreciation for Nissan."

LOL! A cornered rat will seek all means for the sake of survival. After he gets out, his phrase will be: "I have a genuine love for destroying Nissan." Better keep him detended.

For the argument of it not being fair just because he has money and can afford it. This is not new people. You think everyone has the same caliber of defense lawyer in the "fair" justice system? Of course not, the more money you have, the better the lawyer you can get to present your case. Imbalance already exists.

@Geeliez Your argument of "how do you know he's innocent"... smh... it's the standard course of law in most developed countries - innocent until proven guilty. So either you are just unaware or you grew up in some other system of law. And for the others saying, well he could just run into an embassy then what? Hello?!? It would still be a jail of sorts, ie. a lack of total freedom. What, he's going to live in the French/Lebanan/Brazilian embassy for every like Assange? Give a passport - but he has 3! - ok... then there's the electronic monitoring bracelet and posted guard duty (I'm assuming of Japanese prosecutor's choosing)... does he need to add a 20kg ball and ankle chain, with a special moat with flesh-eatin pirranha surrounding the apartment. Then there will be martial arts fighter on each level to fight through.

Japan has mastered the game of their fake justice system. Only way for this to change is to change. Hence, all accused of non-sense charges will have their lives destroyed, guilty or not. Hey, who wants to get arrested? It’s easy to make a call to the police on a made up crime you know.

What else can Japan ask for ???.More than these terms, it is called ill-treatment of a foreigner , who had help a bankrupt company like Nissan. Carlos have offered the best deal for one that have help Japan Inc. Start being fair and get all good wise Japanese out of shame in the eyes of the world.

( offer to ) pay for security guards

I envy Ghosn. If I was arrested I would not be able to offer to pay for security guards.

Seriously though, ( I don't envy Ghosn ) I hope he is released and it will be very interesting to see how many Nissan officials get the axe when his case comes to trial.

if mark karpeles story is true then ghosn will not be bailed out easily. the jurisdiction

system of japan is so corrupted to the deepest hole on earth.

I'll ask you this.... when, in Japan, have you ever seen a Japanese company go after its own employees? Cause that is what is happening.... all the evidence against Ghosn is coming from Nissan and now M'bishi. And all the while, Ghosn remains locked up. Ghosn may be totally guilty.... but this fight is one sided. Ghosn has his hands tied behind his back and he's taking punches. Give him what he wants. He's not a violent criminal... if anything at this point he's a tax evader and should not still be locked up.

@kwatt

If Ghosn were bailed out and he has gone to France for rest, I wonder he would back for his trial?? 

Did you even read the article?

Ghosn has addressed all of the Judge's concerns. It will be interesting to see how this plays out!

long detention seems prosecutors try to find out as many wrongdoings as possible to accuse him in case some charges are dropped. If Ghosn were bailed out and he has gone to France for rest, I wonder he would back for his trial?? He might say many excuses like I'm too sick to go to Japan soon and please wait for me for a couple of years until I'm good enough,,,,,etc.

yet you would think he was Jesus himself judging by the fawning comments here by fanboys proclaiming his innocence and talking of delusional conspiracy theories.

I dont claim him innocent or guilty , Im against the way hes detained, Ghosn just stated hes determined to stay in Japan and be tracked 24/7. If people and the prosecutors are so certain of his guilt and the evidence against him then take him to court. There is no need to force a confession from a person who many think was left holding the smoking gun. There have been literally 100s of other detainees that have nowhere near the resources too flee like Ghosn yet theyre still detained until a confession is forced.

As it stands now Ghosn should say nothing until the court case, when prosecutors realise that he wont confess theyll actually have to do their jobs and prove his guilt. In any first world democracy its the job of the state to prove the accused guilty, not solely the job of the accused to prove their innocense.

Promises not to flee? Haha has he gone senile in detention? No Ghosn, you're staying exactly where you are. Promise not to flee.. Haha oh dear

 All large companies in Japan that I know of devoted significant resources to ensure they were in compliance with JSOX. and yet when J companes do get cuaght for fraud, mismanagment（there have been many） hardly anybody goes to jail and the fines if any are pultry. Why would any company fear breaking laws when they know the punishments are pathetic.

Sorry - this is Japan - guilty until proven innocent.

actually as one J lawyer stated, once in detention its guilt until proven guilty

@Akie

Sadly, Ghosn isn't important to Nissan anymore. Nissan already won the game. Nissan has firmly control of its own destination, now.

Sorry, my friend, but Renault is Nissan's largest shareholder, at 43%,

The control of Nissan's future rests with Renault and any other shareholders it can persuade to assist them!!

The walls are closing in on Nissan on J-Inc!!

@Geeliez

And you know for sure that he is guilty?

I think most of us are disagreeing with his treatment, when plenty of Japanese executives (Toshiba, Olympus, Kobe Steel, Takata, TEPCO, etc) went through mush worse scandals and never spent this much time in detention.

Neither has his innocence

This isn't how the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" -- a principle that Japan claims to adhere to -- works. Ghosn is, legally, an innocent man as of now. He should not have any disadvantages in defending that innocence while the prosecutors are free to assemble evidence of guilt, as they now do.

The system of Justice in Japan has a lot to answer for. I hope people bear that in mind when deciding whether to visit Japan for the Olympics. Japan is ride with corruption and arbitrary enforcement of laws. Was anyone from Tepco responsible for the Fukushima disaster questioned and detained in this manner? I think we all know the answer. I hope people protest by staying at home in 2020.

this part hasn't exactly been confirmed yet, now has it?

Neither has his innocence, yet you would think he was Jesus himself judging by the fawning comments here by fanboys proclaiming his innocence and talking of delusional conspiracy theories. Surely we're not engaging in hypocrisy right?

Sadly, Ghosn isn't important to Nissan anymore. Nissan already won the game. Nissan has firmly control of its own destination, now.

You commit the crime

@Geeliez, this part hasn't exactly been confirmed yet, now has it?

I meant, you do the time

Offers passport, he has 3 of them :)

Are we supposed to feel sorry for him?? You commit the crime, you do the crime. Do not release him Japan

Although he should be presumed innocent, I don't think he should be released as the flight risk is too great. With his wealth he could flee the country in hours, not to mention seeking out refuge in an embassy. It's good that even super elites like Ghosn have to go through the usual system as any normal person here

It is impossible for Ghosn to have committed the financial wrongdoing he is accused of for ONE very simple reason - namely the enactment of J-SOX legislation in Japan in 2006.

This was a very big deal in corporate Japan, since it was the most comprehensive set of internal controls ever to be imposed on Japanese companies. All large companies in Japan that I know of devoted significant resources to ensure they were in compliance with JSOX.

JSOX legislation was modeled after the American Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, also known as the "Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act" and "Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency Act". As a result of JSOX, all large Japanese companies, including Nissan, were required by law to put into place strict internal controls which have to be reviewed, approved and monitored by external auditors.

The safeguards put in place by J-SOX make it virtually impossible for someone like Carlos Ghosn to have committed the types of illegal acts he's charged with, even with the support of another foreign executive like Kelly.

To be clear, there have been plenty of instances of financial wrongdoing at large Japanese corporations since the enactment of JSOX. But, these have not, neither could they have been, conducted in secret by just one or two top executives without the knowledge of many other key executives. The wrongdoing has almost always involved many Japanese executives (often dozens) working in concert and having direct authority over their company's finance, accounting and internal audit departments.

This was simply not the case with Ghosn and Kelly, especially given the constant suspicion and scrutiny faced by foreign executives working at Japanese companies. I can see no possible scenario where the accusations against Ghosn could be valid.

What kind of justice system do we live under where a detainee who has not yet gone to trial has to offer to pay his own money for guards just to be let out of jail to prepare his own defense?

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/20/business/carlos-ghosn-japan-justice-system/index.html

'I wouldn't want this on anyone'  If anyone has an idea of what Ghosn might be going through, it's Mark Karpeles. Like Ghosn, Karpeles is a French businessman in Japan who made a fortune, and then lost his freedom following accusations of financial misconduct.  I wouldn't want this on anyone," Karpeles told CNN. "Not my worst enemy, not even humanity's worst enemy." he businessman kept detailed notes of his 11½ months in Japanese custody, which he describes as a "nightmare." He said that police interrogated him for 50-days straight without a single day off, and that he often considered pleading guilty, just to get the ordeal over with.  "It's very tempting when you are not free and facing a system that every morning tells you just cooperate and everything will be simple," he told CNN. "To just go with the flow and say: okay, okay."'Punishment room' Karpeles said he lost 77 pounds in custody. After the interrogation period came seven months in solitary confinement at a pre-trial detention center in Tokyo.  He remembers every detail of his windowless 6-square-meter (65-square-foot) cell, which had tatami floors, a sink, a toilet, and a small table on which he kept his journal.  Karpeles said he was forced to sit upright in a corner for some ten hours a day. If guards caught him slouching or napping, they would shout through the door. Once, when he failed to comply, he was taken to the padded "punishment room" where his hands were tied behind his back and he was kept on the floor for several hours.

He was released on bail more than two years ago, but he says he's still adjusting to life on the outside. As an accused criminal in Japan, finding an apartment and a job have proven to be a struggle. He now works as chief technology officer for an American company. Because he's not allowed to leave Japan as his case moves through the legal system, he hasn't been able to see his ailing mother in France for six years. Closing arguments in Karpeles' trial ended last month. The verdict is expected in March, nearly four years after his arrest. He continues to insist he's innocent.

The flight risk is one thing.

But what about seeking refuge in an embassy ? And on top of that in an embassy of a country with no extradition agreement between that country and Japan ?

French, Lebanon and Brazilian ambassadors already promised to offer any help they can to Ghosn.

Ghosn can make all the promises he wants, but the moment he steps outside the detention center, what does prevent him not to take refuge in an embassy willing to protect him and not giving him back to Japan ?

Basically this scenario will be "Game Over" for Japan MOJ, and it will result in a judicial and diplomatic mess worse than what the flight risk could achieve.

Moreover, that scenario can be much more easily carried out than taking a flight bypassing all the security gates at any japanese international airports.

@Omachi

I suspect that it will be rejected – on equal fairness grounds. As after all not everybody, who is being held hostage until they confess, can afford to pay for private guards. But I do respect the good college try...

Its an interesting argument and, who knows, we may well see such an argument.

However, if the Court goes down that route, the counter-argument is that the Court itself has violated the equal fairness grounds.

Why? Because the court's argument is that Ghosn represents a flight risk. Because he has wealth and is a foreigner who could easily flee Japan.

Basically, not treating him fairly / equally because he is a rich foreigner!

Not that logic matters to the court, but just sort of making the point.

Look we don't know if he is innocent or guilty. But the thing that upsets me is that there isn't a single Japanese executive in detention - because if Ghosn did order all of these wrong doings then SOMEONE knowingly helped him. So if he is guilty there is NO WAY he was able to do everything single-handedly - he would have had the help of a Japanese BOD member of Japanese executive.

Yeah right, promise not to flee just like he promised not to steal and commit egregious crimes? He's a bad liar, those ropes suit him better

Haha nope! Sneaky Carlos would flee the first chance he gets. Keep him locked up and in ropes Japan! Don't let these super rich elite get to you too

 Carlos Ghosn on Monday asked for his release on bail from a two-month detention in Japan, promising he will report to prosecutors daily and wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.

"As the court considers my bail application, I want to emphasize that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the court concludes are warranted," 

Now, there is no reason for him to be kept locked up. Let's not forget, at this stage, he is not guilty of anything. He is only being held on allegations that are yet to be proven. It will be interesting to see what reasons the judge comes up with if he refuses the bail application again.

When in Rome, Carlos. When in Rome.

What Carlos does not get is the fact that he is powerless in his current circumstances. While he was King of Nissan he could bend 'Japan Inc.'to his will. He could walk over weirdo unspoken Japanese rules . And it worked. But he is now, right or wrong, in the grip of the MOJ. And the Ministry does not bend to any man's will.

He should just sign the dodgy confession, gain his freedom, then, like everybody else, recant his confession and prove his innocence.

Asking for an ankle bracelet and offering to pay for security demonstrates a certain.... disconnection from reality.

Flight risk is such a ridiculous excuse. His face has been plastered allover the news, he can't be seen anywhere any not be recognized. I'm sure the judge will turn down this request but I hope not.

We have many scandals here and new ones abound with old men giving fake bows and apologies and tomorrow's a new day, this year will have many many more of those..

Yet destroy innocent people and their divinity..

64 years old. I wonder if the courts will take that into consideration, or have the basic human dignity to be able to take it into consideration. Once again, the world is watching Japan. Check out The BBC interview with Jake Alderstein a few days ago for a start.

‘If you go a thousand miles in the wrong direction, turn back!’

Every day the sun comes up is a new day to change course.

President Macron does nothing, Human Rights does nothing, Prime Minister Abe does nothing, UN does nothing. But as they stated in another article:

*To preserve its business identity, by cooperating with the Japanese government Nissan will speed up formulating measures to prevent itself from being integrated with Renault, the sources said.

Ghosn may be guilty, but keeping him locked in a dark cold cell is not fair nor humane. His accusations are not of violent crimes. If they want him to be fit enough for court, and have a fair trial, then they should release him on bail. Any country that respects human rights would do that... such as Canada with the Huawei case. Japan is a country of back-wards minds.

saying the compensation was never decided,

given what Nissan has now put him through, it’s clear that he is right!

Q.How long does it take for the J prosecution to make a case?

A.As soon as the suspect has confessed.

Ghosn lost everything as a result of his greed.

In Japan, suspects are often kept in detention until trials start, especially those who assert innocence, in what's criticized as "hostage justice."

Hostage justice is too much of a nice label. This is illegal incarceration. It is also a form of torture. It is against human rights. WHY isn't the world coming out more in force against Japan about this?

Tokyo prosecutors say Ghosn is a flight risk and may tamper with evidence. Legal experts, including Ghosn's lawyers, say preparations for trials as complex as Ghosn's take six months or longer.

BS They can take his passports and post pictures of him everywhere in the airports. What's he going to do, swim to north korea??

Ghosn is also promising to give up his passport and hire security guards acceptable to prosecutors that he would pay for.

Jeez! Now HE has to pay for security so that he can secure his own bail?? Seriously?? Japan's justice system is seriously behind some 3rd world countries that I have lived in.

Certainly those suspected of terrific crimes and other heinous activity would never flee prosecution if given the chance. One's solemn word of honor should be sufficient indeed.

Don't be surprised if the prosecutors come up with some other charge to keep the charade going.

Time is on the interrogators side, and they make full use of it. Bail seems fair, between Nissans internal investigation and the prosecutors thirst for a confession any confession think 2 months detention for a white collar alleged crime is becoming suspicious. As is the lack of any other board members/Nissan employees being held at all.

Here is the lesson people.... whenever you're dealing with Japanese institutions going forward, cover your ass. Especially if they've put you in a position of power. Because at some point they will get rid of you and they'll want a plan B.

@gogogo

Not if they were purchased through a shell company. The finance dept. would have known only about money that was allocated to that company, whose purpose was not for buying property.

Nissan's internal investigation found Nissan purchased homes and furnishings for Ghosn in Lebanon and Brazil, but only a handful of people at Nissan knew, according to people familiar with the probe. Nissan still owns the homes.

So people knew about it, it must have been approved. I guarantee you the finance department, who paid for it, and reported on it knew about it. These are Nissan properties, under Nissan's name.

Awesome!

What Ghosn has done is address all of the legitimate reasons why he should still be held in detention and not released on bail.

But, of course, the reasons the court have given for denying bail are complete window dressing!!

The real reason for keeping him detained is simple: to allow the prosecutors to question him day or night with his lawyer present in the hope that he will eventually "confess", to prevent Ghosn from adequately preparing for his own defense, and to defend himself in public!

But, of course, the court can't say that!

So, Ghosn is basically calling them on it! Wonder how the court will try to continue to defend denial of bail given Ghosn's offer.

detention must be especially difficult for someone like him who is used to opulence and excess

I suspect that it will be rejected – on equal fairness grounds. As after all not everybody, who is being held hostage until they confess, can afford to pay for private guards.  But I do respect the good college try...

Sorry - this is Japan - guilty until proven innocent.

I hope he gets out and soon! Interested in hearing his side!