crime

Ghosn suffers fever; interrogation suspended

29 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2019 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

29 Comments
Login to comment

probably all that torture and trying to force a confession on him that made him ill.

22 ( +29 / -7 )

probably all that torture and trying to force a confession on him that made him ill.

Japanese prosecutors are fully aware of the stress and anxiety that incarceration causes. It would seem that the Tokyo Detention Center has been purposely built to maximise this, by enhancing isolation while incarcerated.

30 ( +34 / -4 )

Losing so much weight in such a short time is very unhealthy. I wonder what they'll do if he dies?

26 ( +31 / -5 )

It's really bizarre that this is still going on. If his health continues to deteriorate to dangerous levels without actually being sentenced and he isn't released, it won't look very good for Japan...

18 ( +22 / -4 )

No doubt his nutritional needs are not being met.  As indicated by him apparently losing some 10kg.  Such a dramatic weight loss in such a short period of time could easily compromise his health in any number of ways.  Especially for a person of 62.  Given his background and lineage, there is little chance that he will give in to the demands of the prosecutors. 

Meanwhile the world is watching.  Nothing short of a world media blitz on Japan and its archaic justice system and practices is going to help Ghosn.  And even then, the Japanese powers that be have their heads so far up their combined asses, that more than likely nothing will change. 

Poor excuse for an apparently modern society.

S

23 ( +29 / -6 )

According to the Nikkei daily, a doctor who examined him said Ghosn "required rest and was unfit for interviews (by prosecutors) and meetings (with his lawyers and consular visitors)".

Interviews? Interrogation right.

His lead lawyer has expressed doubts that he could win bail, saying he expected Ghosn to stay in pre-trial detention for up to six months.

He still need to endure for another six month, at least until July this year. While other executives from Kobe Steel, Takata, Toshiba, Olympus, Tepco, KYB and numerous others after done their crime in plain sight can still walks freely.

28 ( +32 / -4 )

Maybe he should be released based on humanity concerns. No one wants him die, at least not Japanese govt.

-12 ( +5 / -17 )

Japanese prosecutors are fully aware of the stress and anxiety that incarceration causes. It would seem that the Tokyo Detention Center has been purposely built to maximise this, by enhancing isolation while incarcerated.

It is designed for that purpose so people will admit to false confession. Anyone who detained long enough there will be 50/50 chance they will break at some point.

In the summer of 2012, a hacker used compromised computers to have four people wrongfully arrested on charges of making online death threats. All of those arrested initially denied the crimes, but two eventually admitted guilt after being held in detention for a number of days. They were all released in October 2012, when the real culprit sent emails to authorities containing details that could only be known by the actual criminal.

The prosecutors had coerced a false confession from one suspect, while another believed he was covering up for a crime that his girlfriend might have committed. The Japanese media, which relies on being drip-fed scoops by prosecutors, didn’t delve deeply into the matter.

10 ( +15 / -5 )

What on earth can they still be asking him?  Poor old boy not feeling well is not surprising.  hopefully he gets well soon so he can spend the rest of this year in detention in good health.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

we see it how it is , detention of a person without proof or charge is actually worse than imprisonment, because your actually been imprisoned indefinitely without any conviction. No first world democratic country does that the only exception is for terrorists bent on killing innocent people, in Japan they do it to anybody they feel like targeting regardless of the severity of the suspected crimes

4 ( +5 / -1 )

"I wonder what they'll do if he dies?"

It'll be "Shouganai, we did what we could to save him."

Ghosn should be released on bail at this point, he's not a danger to society unlike countless people I see walking the streets every day, and he's not going to flee the country.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

meanwhile.... and talking of illness.... haven't heard anything of Greg Kelly since he was released on bail and taken straight to hospital.....

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Losing so much weight in such a short time is very unhealthy. I wonder what they'll do if he dies?

People lost their lives inside detention center, that's pretty common in Japan.

Myanmar's ethnic group -- collapsed and died after staff failed to call for a medic, allegedly because the doctor was having lunch. A Sri Lankan man died while in detention after the guards apparently ignored his repeated complaints about severe chest pain, a supporters’ group said Monday.

On Sunday morning, a Cameroonian man in his 40s was found unconscious in his cell, she said. Human rights activists say conditions in Japanese detention centers are poor and allegations of mistreatment are rife.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

I think Akie is Chinese with a fake name, her comments are always Pro China when theres negative articles of China but anti anything foreign. Chinese always pretend to be Japanese..

2 ( +9 / -7 )

Where is the outrage from the International Human Rights Organizations and why is nobody being able to do something about this, even Japanese people? If he dies this will become a giant shitstorm. He is basically being tortured into bad health and there is no outcry, im disgusted about his treatment and hope he won't break because of that. I have less and less respect for the justice system here but then again, I shouldn't be surprised sigh.

Whether you’re Japanese or a foreigner, potentially you could also be in the same boat some day, that is, unless you’re in the big club.

You'd expect Ghosn with his stature would be in that big club. IF he ain't, NONE of us is.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

detention of a person without proof or charge is actually worse than imprisonment, because your actually been imprisoned indefinitely without any conviction. No first world democratic country does that the only exception is for terrorists bent on killing innocent people, in Japan they do it to anybody they feel like targeting regardless of the severity of the suspected crimes

Not only detention of a person without proof and force innocence person to make false confession, sometimes they suppressed and tampered with evidence. 

Former Osaka prosecutor, Tsunehiko Maeda has pleaded guilty to tampering with data on a floppy disk seized during the probe. Two of Maeda’s supervisors–Hiromichi Otsubo and Motoaki Saga–have also been arrested for covering up Maeda’s tampering, and the top two chiefs of the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office–Takashi Kobayashi and Hideaki Tamai–have stepped down, taking blame for the tampering and cover-up.

Hiroshi Ishikawa, a former prosecutor, himself had been implicated in a case of false confessions before resigning. He says there’s enormous pressure on police and prosecutors to obtain a guilty verdict by any means.

“I was taught that foreigners and gang members have no human rights,” he once told me. “I was taught that winning is everything. And with the de facto power to detain someone who insists they’re innocent all the way up to their trial, we usually win. However, that doesn’t always mean that justice is served.”

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Kelly in my opinion should voice up to help Carlos too.. and the Nissan workers who support him, they need the confidence to come out of their shell..

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Carlos is yet to be convicted of anything yet fed what amounts to a bread and water diet, made physically uncomfortable, can't be visited by his family? effectively in isolation "interviewed" relentlessly with the soul purpose of extracting a confession be it true or false. Prosecutors need a confession to get a tick in their yearly assessment box. Facts be damned they need a confession or they will be required to write lines on a desk placed in the toilet for 3 months. But as usual any negative comments are reacted to with the standard double down response, culture, tradition. Not one mention of prosecutors inadequate training or investigation techniques. Detained on the word of a corporate body is enough to destroy a family's life. Sickening stupidity.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Not one mention of prosecutors inadequate training or investigation techniques.

At the end of the day, the prosecutor is only a bureaucrat.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Pretty sad to read this.

I am a Permanent Resident, business owner, and committed to Japan. I really like it here and I have few issues living here. Japan is not perfect but for me it is quite an ideal place to live.

One the other hand I am really saddened and concerned about this case. It seems like other transgressions have been committed in the past with equal or even worse gravity than this and the accused were not held for such a long time (if they were Japanese perhaps the judge did not consider flight risk).

In the case of Ghosn the answer seems simple. Release him on the conditions that he surrender his passports and even ask him to wear an ankle bracelet or other surveillance device (similar to what Canada did to Meng Wanzhou of Huawei. The ankle bracelet would prevent any evidence tampering that may occur.

I continue to be perplexed and cannot understand why the prosecutors do not take this to trial and get this done with. If Mr. Ghosn is guilty then they can dish out the appropriate penalties.

Instead, what seems to be happening now, is a the judicial system of a country I love and call home is backing itself into a corner really risking international backlash, especially of God forbid Ghosn becomes severely ill.

I love Japan but this really looks bad for the country's judicial system, its government, and corporate governance.

Very sad.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

For Ghosn to have lost this much weight in such a short period of time, highlights the continued ignorance of Japanese detention methods.

The world is watching, Japan. You are not unique to this world, get over yourselves and get with the times!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

And still no Japanese executives from Nissan being held.

The xenophobia couldn't be more obvious!

13 ( +15 / -2 )

 think Akie is Chinese with a fake name, her comments are always Pro China when theres negative articles of China but anti anything foreign. Chinese always pretend to be Japanese..

I like how the moderation on here is simply cool with this blatant overgeneralized racism. What disturbs the most is how no other commenter has called Kenji out. Rather telling.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

@ Tokyo-Engri

I agree. I’ve lived here over 20 years and while on the whole I’m very comfortable here this case and others like it have me on edge. I don’t know whether Mr. Ghosn is innocent or guilty. The same goes for Mr. Kelly, but the way they were deceived, particularly Mr. Kelly who was scheduled for an operation before being tricked into making a trip to Japan, is disgusting.

The continuing detention of Mr. Ghosn, on very flimsy grounds, scares me, because if it can happen to him it could happen to me. I could be detained if the police suspect me of something/anything. And if they want to continue that detention what recourse would I have?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@pussywillow - I think there are a very large population of expatriates in Japan feeling as you and I do (a kind of silent majority maybe).

Alot of people I talk to see this the same way as you do. Most of us have nothing near the means as Ghosn so if we are placed in the same situation it seems as if it would be a hopeless situation.

What saddens me more is I think the Japanese Government and those in positions to make a different are completely ignorant as to what this is doing to the country's reputation. This case is not "huge" news overseas but it is starting to gain more and more traction as time goes on.

It is not going to just simply "go away".

The best thing Japan could to is have a proper trial and disposition this case properly.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

once upon a time, there was a justice.............. :-(

what's happening is a shame

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Ghosn denies all the allegations against him, saying he had been "wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations".

You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows! Because that's basically the whole Japanese police/court system at its core! I'm glad a light has been shone upon this faulty, unjust and outdated "system".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I agree with Tokyo-Engr says. Heaven forbid Ghosn falls insalubrious due to legal case mishandling. Don't give the outside world an excuse to target the good folks of Japan who currently live or travelling abroad. GOJ act - ACT!  If Ghosn did wrong, then prove it and get it over with. Ghosn made many businesses wealthy and they will not be pleased to learn if anything happens to him while in custody. I worry for my japanese famiy members and friends. GOD save us all.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites