Carlos Ghosn could spend the next year in a Tokyo jail awaiting trial after he was indicted for the second time since his arrest nearly two months ago.
The auto executive’s Japanese lawyers applied for bail soon after the new indictment on Friday. If the bail application is rejected, Ghosn will spend at least another two months in jail, a detention period that can then be extended by the court for a month at a time. His lawyers can appeal in a higher court.
Ghosn’s legal team fears prosecutors will keep him in jail until a trial begins, which could take six months to a year, they said.
Ghosn has strongly denied the allegations against him. In a court hearing earlier this week, he said he had been unfairly detained on «meritless and unsubstantiated accusations.»
A judge in the Tokyo District Court said during the hearing that keeping Ghosn in jail during the investigation was justified because he posed a flight risk and could conceal evidence. Ghosn’s lawyers dispute those claims.
He faces a combined maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if found guilty of the charges.
