While out on bail yet to be tried, the 65-year-old Chief Carlos Ghosn has been re-arrested over suspicions he caused Nissan $5m in losses and misappropriated the funds for personal use, according to reports.
Mr Ghosn’s latest arrest comes as a result of Nissan funds totaling $15m between the years of 2015 and 2018, reports said. And $5m of that amount was suspected to be used by Mr Ghosn for personal expenditure.
Mr Ghosn, however, has tagged his re-arrest as “outrageous and arbitrary”. He outright has denied any wrongdoing and would spend 108 days in bail before released on bail.
The Japanese broadcaster NHK reported, “Tokyo prosecutors entered Mr Ghosn’s residence before 06:00 local time on Thursday (21:00 GMT Wednesday) and took him to their office on suspicion he had misappropriated Nissan funds for personal use”.
NHK also tagged it “unusual” to re-arrest anyone who was just released on bail.
In a statement released by his representatives, Mr Ghosn said, “I am innocent of the groundless charges and accusations against me”.
He also suspects that his latest arrest is “part of another attempt by some individuals at Nissan to silence me by misleading the prosecutors”.
He was first arrested in November for underreporting his pay package and was re-arrested twice in December and faces three charges altogether.
He was released on $9m bail in March, but still denied any wrongdoing. He wants “to tell the truth about what’s happening,” as he newly created a Twitter account that he was planning a press conference on April 11.
Renault, however, publicly criticisedMr Ghosn for the first time and are behind his latest arrest which cameafter he was accused for “questionable and concealed practices”. Renault added that it would terminate Mr Ghosn’s pension worth €765,000 a year.