TOKYO (AP) — The former chairman of Japan’s Nissan Motor Co., Carlos Ghosn, is getting his day in court to demand the reason for his prolonged detention — his first public appearance since his Nov. 19 arrest.
Revered in the global auto industry, Ghosn was charged with falsifying financial reports in underreporting his income. The courtroom hearing Tuesday marks his first chance to directly tell his side of the story.
Sources close to him say he is asserting his innocence, saying the money, promised as income for later, was never decided on or paid.
In Japan, suspects are routinely held without bail, often due to fears about tampered evidence. Tokyo prosecutors have said that Ghosn is a flight risk. Ghosn is a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry.
