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Two of Ghosn's former aides escape indictment through plea bargain

35 Comments

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35 Comments
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They really want his head on a silver platter, don't they?

8 ( +15 / -7 )

And why do they get the courtesy of not being named? If they committed crimes and are getting as lighter sentence or no sentence for testifying, they are already guilty, and by rights should be named.

14 ( +22 / -8 )

Here is a fabulous link to a documentary about Carlos and Nissan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ay249EN7bA

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Can he be offered the chance to plea bargain against them too?

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Plea bargain? What a load of crap! They were given a choice to sign a 'dob in your mates' form written by prosecuting lawyers or face trial. That's plea bargaining Japan style.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Oh my lord, so prosecutors threatened them with indeterminable jail time or sign this form and you can go. And what did they choose? Now that's Japanese justice Kamakazi style. What a thought out system.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Yeah right, do what we say or you will also goto jail.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

This is a sham. Think about it. Nissan employees, who tried to undermine Ghosn's merger plans, go to prosecutors and give him their supposed incriminating documents, which the prosecutors use as their major evidence against him, and in exchange the employees get off scott-free, including having their identities covered up.

Interesting also how the prosecutors employ extreme leniency to the Japanese suspects and zero leniency to the foreigner others.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

It is probably just me. Sorry. Just don't get it.

The plea deal was struck about 7 months ago! Why is this getting mainstream media attention now in the form of a complete article?

To be fair, there were minor mentions of a plea deal from these two in previous articles but they were buried within articles.

Makes you wonder. Not saying that Ghosn doesn't have a case to answer but there seems to me at least that there is a subliminal effort to sway public opinion.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Wasn’ Carlos arrested in November, therefore after the plea bargain agreement, or just before

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Prosecutors are really becoming world-wide infamous! Next step in view: these "repentants" paying their ransom by "witnessing"... Disgusting method, which does stink more and more a political style of "under order justice".

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Prosecutors are really becoming world-wide infamous! Next step in view: these "repentants" paying their ransom by "witnessing"... Disgusting method, which does stink more and more a political style of "under order justice".

I commend you on your word count but your crazy post makes no sense.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Interesting also how the prosecutors employ extreme leniency to the Japanese suspects and zero leniency to the foreigner others.

Sadly, this is true. If Ghosn had have made a plea bargin, this fine would probably have been double that of a Japanese national.

Not only is the Japsnese legal system racist and unfair, it is also a scam.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

You accept a plea bargain dependent on the offer that is being extended.

What we are seeing is a Nissan sponsored corparate assassination. Simple as that.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

I have had some experience within the Japanese legal system and I thought it neither racist nor unfair.

Pretty good actually.

However, in Ghosn's case, it is not the size of the infringement but rather the inner workings of the related companies that need more looking into.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

However, in Ghosn's case, it is not the size of the infringement but rather the inner workings of the related companies that need more looking into.

.... and I think that the inner workings of the prosecutors office need lookig into as well.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Plea bargain? What a load of crap! They were given a choice to sign a 'dob in your mates' form written by prosecuting lawyers or face trial. That's plea bargaining Japan style.

Really and how does it work in America and the west?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Plea bargain? What a load of crap! They were given a choice to sign a 'dob in your mates' form written by prosecuting lawyers or face trial.

That is how plea bargain works anywhere around the world.

They testify with collaborating evidence who is higher up the food chain in exchange for a lesser sentence.

The boss can call for out of court settlement but it has to start with the person admitting guilty in exchange for all the people who had collaborating including family members for a reduced sentence which I doubt Ghosn will accept.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It is fascinating how the prosecutors continued to keep Ghosn in prison by claiming that he “could tamper with evidence”. And now, months after this dog and pony show, two other people who have not been retained, and likely could have tampered with evidence, are being allowed to provide “evidence” against Mr Ghosn. Does anyone smell a rat?

5 ( +7 / -2 )

.

Plea bargains happen all the time.

Read about it in the American press daily.

There's nothing nefarious about it.

.

.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Nothing wrong with a good plea bargain give relevant circumstances but can't see Ghosn going for anything that doesn't let him walk free and clear. He may sacrifice some previous pledged retirement package but I have a feeling that Nissan is kind of wishing now they never got so involved. Got to be some blow-back from Renault. At what cost do they crucify their saviour?

The first few indictments seemed harmless, the latter add-ons perhaps more serious.

For the time-being, the J-prosecutors are holding the nail bag. It remains to be seen if they can hammer him hard on real wood.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

.

According the prestigious French news medium, Le Figaro ( April 26/19), an independent audit was commissioned by Renault and Nissan to investigate the accounts of their joint RNBV subsidiary ( in the light of the charges against Carlos Ghosn)

The independent audit, by the firm Mazars, reviewed 10 years of RNBV accounts.

They found the equivalent of 10.9 million EUROS of questionable expenses - indicating the moneys were diverted for Ghosn's private purposes - itemizing the various expenditures over the 10 year period.

Renault has referred this hard data to the French prosecutors.

There may be more plea bargains ensuing on the continent ,I suspect.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

You are being a tad deceptive here. They are not questionable expenses but rather potentially questionable expenses as reported by Bloomberg. Let's just agree to call them dubious.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

@ ozellis : Got to be some blow-back from Renault. At what cost do they crucify their saviour?

.

Renault has washed their hands of Ghosn.

They have already decided he will be dismissed as director in their June meeting.

Meanwhile ,t he French prosecutors will be joining the dots of the money trail to personal expenditures . . .

One RNVB director has already "resigned".

.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

@ mmwkdw:

.

Agreed.

Forced confessions are medieval.

And that aspect of J legal system needs seriously to be reviewed.

.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Ghosn's fate is in the hands of lawyers. Witness, yes, facts, yes, do they violate laws, yes or no, all depends on the interpretation by the lawyers, and that is the beauty of intelligence.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Plea bargain is a judicial thing to avoid judicial sentence, but still remain a most likely guilt too if proven. How is Nissan going to handle that?

We are not talking about whistleblowers with high ethics here!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ghosn's fate is in the hands of lawyers. Witness, yes, facts, yes, do they violate laws, yes or no, all depends on the interpretation by the lawyers, and that is the beauty of intelligence.

The only fact that we have learned so far is that the Japanese justice system is not fit for purpose.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Plea bargains happen all the time. Read about it in the American press daily. There's nothing nefarious about it.

Reread the article, oh before that read the title of the page here, it reads JAPAN Today, America has nothing to do with this topic.

Why in the world do people continue to insist on thinking what may be normal in "their" country is the norm for here?

in what seems to be the second such deal since Japan introduced the plea-bargain system in June.

Do you have any idea WHY they introduced this system here? It sure the hell is nefarious, as previous to this, prosecutors only took cases they could win to trial, based mainly upon confessions, many of which were coerced.

NOW prosecutors have another tool to get a conviction, by being able to apply pressure and threats of a trial, whether they can win or not, they can get possibly innocent people to admit to being guilty, whether they actually are or not. There is no "checks and balance" here to offset them.

Considering how the system here works, THAT is one more added layer of scary!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

In meantime Ghosn is also a Dutch tax payor instead of French (https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-nissan-ghosn-france/renaults-ceo-moved-tax-domicile-to-netherlands-in-2012-paper-idUSKCN1P32EV). It could well be that he not only avoided French wealth tax, though also benefited from a Dutch 30% ruling (https://www.abilitiestrust.nl/Dutch-Corporate-Services/Netherlands-Tax-compliance).

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Do you have any idea WHY they introduced this system here?

To get rid of the yakuza. The chimpira that helps convicting his boss is perdoned, and able to go back into society as a honest citizen and keep doing the non-criminal part of his job. That seems to work.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What does “dob in your mates” mean? Some sort of quaint regionalism?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@semperfi

He may indeed be guilty of some crime but you seem to have made up your mind already. I would rather wait until a court makes that decision.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Betraying anyone to get what U want. What is becoming to co-operate working levels. 120% under-hand methods here.Shame of Nissan & all involved.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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