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In final hearing, Kelly's lawyer says his client not involved in Ghosn payment dealings

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By YURI KAGEYAMA

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This whole ordeal was a set up from the beginning. According to the New York Times, the SEC opened its inquiry in response to charges brought by the Japanese prosecutors. I believe that Nissan did this as a precursor to having Ghosn and Kelly removed. Make them look bad with the SEC first which in turn would make them look guilty to everyone else, making them look like criminals and easier to remove. Nissan removed its top lawyer because he saw conflict of interest issues, Hari Nada doing potentially illegal things, like hacking Ghosn's email account (he got immunity along with other assoicates, what do you need that for unless your doing something dirty?) Hiroto Saikawa was caught doing the same things Ghosn and Kelly were accused of. He just said sorry and bowed, all was forgiven and forgotten. You have foreigners who cant read or write Japanese, but are accused of being the masterminds behind some huge plot in a Japanese company, which probably keeps records of EVERYTHING. I ain't buying it. Ghosn may be guilty of some things, but I doubt he did all he has been accused of.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Because they were unable to access to the fatal documents being in custody, because it costs them too much to fight against SEC in US, so just a million bucks should be quickly wasted even personally and he ignored GM had been offering much better remuneration.

Well, do not expect too much on Japan when ruled by the opposition

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

What they try to do and not being finalized and approved, is a way to pay post retirement scheme that exist and common in Japan. Even for Ghosn case that agreement will require him not to go to rival companies, using non-compete agreement.

I don't know what those non-Japanese firms are doing these days but I have never heard of such post-retirement scheme which exists and common in Japan where you would be paid twice as much ($160mil) as his last 8 years remuneration($79mil) just as an advisor with non-compete obligation although, due to 50% taxation on your severance-allowance, it is common to differ part of your annual salary under the name of retirement fund, which is not the same as advisor/non-compete package. Have you?

The issue is how badly the prosecutors and the system is to a person still not judged as guilty by the court. And the slow death process of it. If he is as guilty as they say, get it over with quickly, shoe the evidence, don't rely on confessions!!

The trial at the court has been already held and the final judgement would be made in March 2022.

The prosecutors rely on whistle-blowing from the inside too.

These guys willingly took the result without a bit of fighting to protect their reputation, where they would not be able to work as an executive/director of any US listed company for next 10/5 years. Oh year, that's because of non-compete clause in the contract, not finalized yet right?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@JimOct. 28 09:01 pm JST

This is pure stupidity! How can you report something that you haven’t received. Even a formal contract wasn’t made! If a contract was made and signed then maybe it’s ok to report it but still there is no need to report it until you get the money! What a big conspiracy to remove Ghosn and charge Kelly with a made up crime that just doesn’t exist!

From Nissan's viewpoint, that's not money "received" - that's money that's to be paid. Think of it this way - suppose you used a lot of electricity this month. Sure, you don't know exactly how much you'll have to pay until the bill comes in, but don't tell me you don't know you have to pay it, you don't know what you usually pay or that you don't know you'll be paying a lot more than that amount.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

@ThonTaddeo Oct. 28 08:48 am JST

I'm continually amazed that no one seems to have a problem with this part, and that it seems to be legal.

I wonder whether people let their sense that Kelly is somehow innocent influence their thinking on this question. Suppose Kelly is suspected of murder or kidnapping. Are you going to be against the use of lures to bring him to justice? If so, what societal purpose would it serve? What legitimate right would it defend?

@JamesOct. 28 09:04 am JST

His lawyer, said that a court dispute with the SEC would have been too time-consuming and expensive.

He can hardly admit he's likely to get his butt kicked, could he?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Peter NeilOct. 28  08:17 am JST

Ghosn paid a $1 million civil penalty and Kelly paid a $100,000 civil penalty to the SEC in the US to settle the US fraud charges against them for the same thing they are charged with in Japan.

It wasn't only Ghosn and Kelly, but Nissan itself was also charged.

The ones travelling were Ghosn and Kelly, but the same would happen if any other directive of Nissan had traveled to the US.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Peter NeilOct. 28  08:17 am JST

Ghosn paid a $1 million civil penalty and Kelly paid a $100,000 civil penalty to the SEC in the US to settle the US fraud charges against them for the same thing they are charged with in Japan.

Need to be careful with wording. Ghosn and Kelly are not being charged with "the same thing" as they were charged in the US. Japanese Courts do not have the jurisdiction to charge people with violating US laws, and likewise, US Courts can not charge people for violating Japanese laws. It would be correct to sat they are charged with similar crimes.

With the paucity of legal knowledge on this board there will be some who read your post and claim Ghosn and Kelly are being charged twice.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

YohanOct. 28  04:47 pm JST

OssanAmericaToday 02:10 pm JST

Kelly is innocent and he should be acquitted of charges.

Explain this to US regulators, where Kelly had to pay USD 100,000 penalty, got a five-year ban from serving as an officer or director of a publicly traded U.S. company and a five-year suspension from practicing or appearing before the SEC as an attorney.

What do the charges Kelly faces in Japan have to do with the charges in the U.S.?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Now there is one or two high ranking US people getting involved, this is probably making the tabloids and TV news in the USA, I wonder how this is effecting sales of Nissan cars? The USA population are grate believers in justice and nationalism, so seing one of there own being treated like this, might turn them against buying Nissan cars.

This data shows a massive drop in sales, whether its related to Mr Kelly case, or is the product or not, I dont know

Apparently so sale figure show a massive drop from 2017/18, to now

https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/nissan-us-sales-figures/

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Richard Gallagher

That's much better reporting than any ever shown here in JT. They always keep spewing, rehashing the same basic sentences for his old news.

Now, I did take what you said with a grain of salt. Look at what @sakurasuki had to say about your post so spot on.

Also, I believe you were incorrect as to where he was staying, it was never a luxury hotel. Before his charging he spent time in the detention center and then moved to an apartment while on bail.

Now, if he did wrong that's fine, it's not like I or some of us believe he is a saint or something. If he did wrong he should pay. The issue is how badly the prosecutors and the system is to a person still not judged as guilty by the court. And the slow death process of it. If he is as guilty as they say, get it over with quickly, shoe the evidence, don't rely on confessions!!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@Richard  Gallagher

Egor Matveyev, who teaches at the MIT Sloan School of Management, calls the Ghosn case “a clear example of corporate governance failure.”

Corporate governance? It's not the first time take look on Toshiba's and Olympus's case

So far Carlos Ghosn and his lawyer share his case to University of Tokyo professor an expert of corporate law, Wataru Tanaka about his case. He even said even if there is such punishment it should be fine not jail time.

The Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (金融商品取引法, Kin'yū shōhin torihiki-hō) is the applicable law. It is quite clear that Kelly, conspired with Ghosn to violate sections of the Act. Ghosn violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) [15 U.S.C. § 78j(b)] and SEC Rule 10b-5 [17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5], and also aided and abetted Nissan’s violations of Section 10(b) and SEC Rule 10b-5. Kelly aided and abetted Ghosn’s and Nissan’s violations of the same.

Please check again how many people is being involved to make that happen, is not only Kelly. If you check Kelly's case carefully even by the time he being consulted, those plan already exist.

When Ghosn and Kelly need to settle with SEC, please check again when was it? It's time where they are in custody, with very limited access to document from their previous company.

 structure payment after Ghosn’s retirement without disclosure in the periods when the compensation had been earned and fixed.

What they try to do and not being finalized and approved, is a way to pay post retirement scheme that exist and common in Japan. Even for Ghosn case that agreement will require him not to go to rival companies, using non-compete agreement.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/01/25/editorials/get-bottom-amakudari/

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Those who seem to be responding to the indictment and trial of Mr. Kelly, are simply emoting and condemning a legal system they neither understand or have a functional awareness. The conviction rate in Japan is similar to the USA. The law Mr. Kelly and Ghosn violated is clear and the evidence bears fact of their conspiracy to engage in acts contrary to those laws. The rather baffling reference to the U.N. and human rights violations is at best silly. Mr. Ghosn was confined to a set of suited in luxury hotels in Tokyo. His actual incarceration was of very limited duration.

Unfortunatly (for Japan) I have understood the Japanese legal system for many years, and now more and more people are understanding it's functionality. The law in Japan is never clear, and the prosecution seems to have no clear cut evidence. Mr.Ghosn's incarcation was 104 days, and he spentost of his time on bail (which took many attempts) in a small basic apartment.

Oh, and let's not forget the intimidation of his wife. Rather cheap and nasty.

No emotion here, except disgust at Japan, a country once so admired.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Richard GallagherOct. 28  08:57 pm JST

Those who seem to be responding to the indictment and trial of Mr. Kelly, are simply emoting and condemning a legal system they neither understand or have a functional awareness. The conviction rate in Japan is similar to the USA. The law Mr. Kelly and Ghosn violated is clear and the evidence bears fact of their conspiracy to engage in acts contrary to those laws. . .

Your summary and characterization of the audience are excellent.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Richard Gallagher Today  08:57 pm JST

[...] Mr. Ghosn was confined to a set of suited in luxury hotels in Tokyo.

I stopped reading there.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Accused of possible future crimes: What is this, Minority report?

Crikey! I have a feeling I'm going to get paid in the future: Does that make me a tax dodger now?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Accused of possible future crimes: What is this, Minority report?

Crikey! I have a feeling I'm going to get paid in the future: Does that make me a tax dodger now?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Prosecutors say that money, totaling about 9 billion yen ($80 million) should have been reported as compensation even though it was never paid or stipulated in a formal contract.

This is pure stupidity! How can you report something that you haven’t received. Even a formal contract wasn’t made! If a contract was made and signed then maybe it’s ok to report it but still there is no need to report it until you get the money! What a big conspiracy to remove Ghosn and charge Kelly with a made up crime that just doesn’t exist!

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Those who seem to be responding to the indictment and trial of Mr. Kelly, are simply emoting and condemning a legal system they neither understand or have a functional awareness. The conviction rate in Japan is similar to the USA. The law Mr. Kelly and Ghosn violated is clear and the evidence bears fact of their conspiracy to engage in acts contrary to those laws. The rather baffling reference to the U.N. and human rights violations is at best silly. Mr. Ghosn was confined to a set of suited in luxury hotels in Tokyo. His actual incarceration was of very limited duration.

Ghosn was charged with breach of trust allegations centered around using Nissan money for personal gain, ranging from housing, tuition payments for his children, use of a corporate jet and purchases such as a chandelier. Ghosn has said they were needed for work. That's amusing and by definition 'compensation.

Egor Matveyev, who teaches at the MIT Sloan School of Management, calls the Ghosn case “a clear example of corporate governance failure.”

The Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (金融商品取引法, Kin'yū shōhin torihiki-hō) is the applicable law. It is quite clear that Kelly, conspired with Ghosn to violate sections of the Act. Ghosn violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) [15 U.S.C. § 78j(b)] and SEC Rule 10b-5 [17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5], and also aided and abetted Nissan’s violations of Section 10(b) and SEC Rule 10b-5. Kelly aided and abetted Ghosn’s and Nissan’s violations of the same.

From fiscal year 2004 through 2018, Nissan’s Board of Directors delegated to Ghosn the authority to set individual director and executive compensation, including his own compensation, within certain aggregate limits. Although the delegation in certain years contemplated that Ghosn would consult with certain other directors about compensation decisions, in practice, Ghosn set the amount of his compensation without oversight.

Ghosn, with substantial assistance from his subordinates, including Kelly, considered multiple ways to pay the undisclosed portion of his compensation through Nissan related entities without public disclosure. Ghosn and his subordinates abandoned those plans when disclosure appeared unavoidable, and instead crafted different ways to structure payment after Ghosn’s retirement without disclosure in the periods when the compensation had been earned and fixed.

Among other schemes, Ghosn entered into secret contracts countersigned by a senior employee who worked directly for Ghosn in Nissan’s Secretariat’s Office, and executed backdated letters granting himself cash awards under Nissan’s annual Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) in the amount of his undisclosed compensation.

In addition to the more than $90 million in undisclosed and unpaid compensation, Ghosn and his subordinates knowingly or recklessly made, or caused to be made, false and misleading statements regarding more than $50 million of additional pension benefits for Ghosn. These included misleading Nissan’s CFO and other Nissan executives regarding the accounting for the additional pension amounts, and creating a false disclosure to support how Nissan accounted for them.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Ghosn's unpaid remuneration, tabulated and updated by Nissan Motor Co secretariat official Toshiaki Ohnuma.

Why hasn't this guy, Mr. Ohnuma, not been charged?

He was crunching the numbers.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

As an aside, who would trust the CEO, V- recovery-attained influencer of a Japanese major company who had spent a half of his career in Japan but cannot communicate in Japanese.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

This statement by Ghosn, makes one believe in Freud: "Greg is paying the price of his honesty and his being straightforward," Ghosn said of Kelly. "He is the only person who isn't lying in the process."

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Nissan is the guilty party all along, the Japanese public knows that and so does the leadership at Nissan, but it will take time until the courts complete it's process and the truth will prevail.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It was never paid? Of course it was supposed to be paid in future.

It was not stipulated in formal contract ? Of course it was under -the-table agreement.

All needed was for Nissan boards to sign up the draft contract with a Ghosn 's line blank and let this weasel carry it and when Ghosn signs, it would become instantaneously a formal contract.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

The US Embassy cares nothing for their residents in Japan

Basically the same for many western embassies. They just don't want to know.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

How the heck Ghosn suddenly accepted 50% pay-cut anyway in 2011 despite he had always complaining and comparing with other CEOs? How the heck Ghosn and Kerry accepted the verdict in US without a bit of fighting to protect their reputation Huh?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

UN considers Ghosn detainment illegal and breached his human rights.

You probably know much more than UN does. Bad idea to always resort to UN.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Ironically, NISSAN is asking the prosecutors for leniency for their role in Ghosn and Kelly's situation.

Nissan, which has already pleaded guilty, is standing trial alongside former executive Greg Kelly, who has denied charges he helped his former boss hide 9.3 billion yen ($81.8 million) of Ghosn's earnings over eight years through deferred payments.

Nissan asks Tokyo court for leniency over Ghosn charges

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tokyo-prosecutors-seek-two-sentence-090513970.html

So, no one (meaning Japanese) will be sentenced to a prison term because it is everybody's fault, but the only two foreigners who cannot speak Japanese, and NISSAN wanted to get rid of committed these suppose it crimes alone within a massive mostly Japanese company. Yeah, right!!

5 ( +7 / -2 )

The same can not be said for the bail jumping weasel.

I assume that this "weasel" is Mr. Ghosn. I would not consider him a weasel. He was a good company CEO and a victim of Japan's legal and cultural failures. Congratulations for escaping Japan's cheap and nasty little prosecutors, imbecile judges, and scam, sham so-called legal system. The word weasel seems to apply to a man called Saikawa.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

UN considers Ghosn detainment illegal and breached his human rights.

Rahm Emanuel, former Chicago mayor, says that the Kelly case is all bogus and abusive.

Hagerty, former ambassador to Japan, says straigt forward that Kelly's human rights were violated.

Critics to the J-justice are piling up.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

@Ingvar

And Ghosn was doing all that in fluent Japanese, right? LOL

7 ( +8 / -1 )

OssanAmericaToday 02:10 pm JST

Kelly is innocent and he should be acquitted of charges.

Explain this to US regulators, where Kelly had to pay USD 100,000 penalty, got a five-year ban from serving as an officer or director of a publicly traded U.S. company and a five-year suspension from practicing or appearing before the SEC as an attorney.

He is an upright honest man who dignified his nationality by appearing in Court and answering the charges.

Unlike Ghosn who became an international fugitive and is now hiding in Lebanon, Kelly is an US citizen and has no other way but to wait it out in Japan. He has nowhere to go.

Innocent? I don't think so. However his charges are less serious than those of Ghosn, I guess not much will happen to him and he will be out of Japan next year as a free man.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

Kelly is innocent and he should be acquitted of charges. He is an upright honest man who dignified his nationality by appearing in Court and answering the charges. The image Kelly presented to Japan reflects positively on all foreigners living in Japan.

The same can not be said for the bail jumping weasel.

0 ( +11 / -11 )

The foreign crminal mastermind in a huge Japanese corporation who doesn't even speak hardly a word of japanese. Stuff for the Onion.

Ghosn was obviously the mastermind. If I'm the getaway driver for a bank robber, I'm on the hook for bank-robbery along with the guy who actually did the robbing.

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

Ghosn had been frequently complaining about his remuneration lower than such market value but willingly accepted more than half pay-cut? then what? After he retires, he was supposed to make, just as an adviser with non-compete obligation, for more than what he had been paid as CEO?

Who would believe this BS.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Prosecutors say that money, totaling about 9 billion yen ($80 million) should have been reported as compensation even though it was never paid or stipulated in a formal contract.

How is this cause for being on trial, let alone being arrested??

If there is no formal contract, then there is no real pay cut. Then there is nothing to report! Surely all details are not reported nor made open. However, and moreover, isn't the NOT reporting part the problem? Then the people filing the reports are the law breakers, are they not? Highly unlikely Ghosn or Kelly filed those reports themselves. Nissan did it. Ghosn said "I'll take the pay cut to stay here" (who says that??! wow he really liked NISSAN..) and NISSAN said "OK" and filed the reports... Where is the sin. wrongdoing or crime??? Come on, Japan needs to demand all these corrupt prosecutors and judges end this sham and be removed from offices.

Disgusting.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

And all of this because Nissan was not willing to pay the market value for its CEO.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

Who stepped down as Nissan boss after he admitted to being improperly overpaid.

Then he did the same exact crime as Ghosn? Then why isn't he under arrest?

Yet not one single objection was raised here by the American embassy.

Could they see it as a legitimate crime in Japan? That's the reason?

SoftBank’s Simon Segars, British CEO of ARM is the highest paid executive of a Japanese company, earning ¥1,880m (around $17m) and SoftBank’s COO Marcelo Claure is the third highest paid, with SoftBank’s Rajeev Misra, Ronald Fisher, Miyauchi Ken and Goto Yoshimitsu at #6, #7, #12 and #21 respectively.

(news quote)

How come Mr. Segars and the other gaijin are not under arrest? According to the people on Ghosn's side once you are a foreigner in Japan and you make over a million dollars here you are automatically targeted by the cops here. Can anyone clarify?

An executive would have to been crazy or a masochist to serve as director at a Japanese corporation.

Really? (see above) How about those people?

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Prosecutors say that money, totaling about 9 billion yen ($80 million) should have been reported as compensation even though it was never paid or stipulated in a formal contract.

What else should be reported then? Monies they never paid to me and weren’t going to?

What is this sham of a case?

I dearly hope for Japan’s reputation that the judges throw this out, not to mention poor Kelly who has been through enough as it is. Give him the 80 million bucks as compensation, I say.

8 ( +14 / -6 )

His November 2018 business trip has lasted longer than expected. 3 years and still extending. At that pace, he will leave Japan when covid will be over.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

I call BS on that. Kelly was lured to Japan by Nissan in collusion with Japanese prosecutors. That is a fact. They knew he was coming and arrested the guy on the highway coming from the airport. Yet not one single objection was raised here by the American embassy. And I haven't heard squat for the duration of this 3 year ordeal.

The US Embassy cares nothing for their residents in Japan. They only care about those who work at the embassy. They have some of the poorest relations and support with expats compared to other embassies.

If your are living in Japan as American then you are basically on your own unless you are paying the embassy for a particular service then they are helpful, of course.

12 ( +17 / -5 )

The J-government will convict on some kind of nonsensical charge or crime then give him a suspended sentence to show some kind of fake mercy of the court.

Anything else will basically be admitting to the buffoonery, incompetence, and corruption on the part of the J-gov, prosecutors and NISSAN.

16 ( +22 / -6 )

@Peter Neil

Ghosn paid a $1 million civil penalty and Kelly paid a $100,000 civil penalty to the SEC in the US to settle the US fraud charges against them for the same thing they are charged with in Japan.

Mr Ghosn’s decision to settle with the SEC is based on the hope of his vast international legal team that doing so would not have any negative impact on his criminal trial in Japan.

His lawyer, said that a court dispute with the SEC would have been too time-consuming and expensive.

The SEC did not make a single new allegation, and its conclusions, which appeared to be based on documents and evidence provided by Nissan and Japanese prosecutors, were reached without interviewing Mr Ghosn.

It also does not mention Hiroto Saikawa. Who stepped down as Nissan boss after he admitted to being improperly overpaid.

As you can see it is just a further set up just by Japan Prosecutors and Nissan and SEC grabbing some free case from a settlement. this just means that they thought the actions were unlawful not criminal there is a big difference

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Nissan lured him back to Japan, on the pretext of attending a meeting

I'm continually amazed that no one seems to have a problem with this part, and that it seems to be legal.

15 ( +20 / -5 )

Ghosn paid a $1 million civil penalty and Kelly paid a $100,000 civil penalty to the SEC in the US to settle the US fraud charges against them for the same thing they are charged with in Japan.

Kelly was also banned from being a corporate officer or representing any corporation in the US for several years, along with a 10 year ban for Ghosn.

I know some of you will rationalize this since white collar crime isn't treated the same in the US. People wearing ties become folk heroes.

-8 ( +10 / -18 )

Prosecutors say that money, totaling about 9 billion yen ($80 million) should have been reported as compensation even though it was never paid or stipulated in a formal contract.

That says it all "never paid or stipulated in a formal contract" They jumped the gun on their prosecution once the deal was finalized I am sure it would have been made into a formal contract and then reported.

The only fair verdict in is Nissan: Guilty and Greg Kelly: Not Guilty.

13 ( +23 / -10 )

The foreign crminal mastermind in a huge Japanese corporation who doesn't even speak hardly a word of japanese. Stuff for the Onion.

-1 ( +12 / -13 )

"The No. 1 responsibility of an embassy and an ambassador is to make sure the safety, and ensure the safety, of a U.S. citizen on foreign soil,"

I call BS on that. Kelly was lured to Japan by Nissan in collusion with Japanese prosecutors. That is a fact. They knew he was coming and arrested the guy on the highway coming from the airport. Yet not one single objection was raised here by the American embassy. And I haven't heard squat for the duration of this 3 year ordeal.

11 ( +19 / -8 )

Japan needs to show it is a civilized country where super-rich white collar criminals are beholden to the law like everyone else. The regimes of North America and Western Europe will be outraged but Japanese prosecutors and the Japanese state need to hold firm. Hopefully USA won't use nukes to stop it (super-rich white collar criminals beholden to the law like everyone else) from happening.

-9 ( +9 / -18 )

from people who actually made the paperwork and lodged it, hanko it. ( not charged)

Well, but of course those people can't be charged. They're not filthy foreigners but holy Japanese so of course they can't be scapegoated.

13 ( +25 / -12 )

Next year a ruling will be delivered? Arrested in 2018, 2022 and a decision is made based on evidence from people who actually made the paperwork and lodged it, hanko it. ( not charged) But it takes 6 years to decide guilt on the words of people given immunity for crimes they committed? A totally wacky justice system.

15 ( +25 / -10 )

arrest the prosecutors as they are obviously the corrupt ones.

Replace Japans complete and utter imbecilic judges with proper judges, and replace the so called justice minister.

10 ( +21 / -11 )

arrest the prosecutors as they are obviously the corrupt ones.

10 ( +22 / -12 )

a 1 billion yen ($9 million) a year pay cut Ghosn voluntarily took....prosecutors say that money, totaling about 9 billion yen ($80 million) should have been reported as compensation even though it was never paid or stipulated in a formal contract.

Yep, that's quite a crime. Arrested and thrown in jail because of money you chose not to receive and never received, on the assumption you might be receiving in the future at some undefined point.

An executive would have to been crazy or a masochist to serve as director at a Japanese corporation.

16 ( +27 / -11 )

"Greg is paying the price of his honesty and his being straightforward," Ghosn said of Kelly. "He is the only person who isn't lying in the process."

In Japans utter disgrace of a legal system, honesty means nothing if you are not Japanese.

18 ( +30 / -12 )

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