TOKYO: The high-profile case of ex-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has shone a light in Japan on what critics call «hostage justice», in which…
TOKYO: The high-profile case of ex-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has shone a light in Japan on what critics call «hostage justice», in which suspects can be held for months after arrest, but any reforms will likely be incremental and slow.
Ghosn, a former titan of the global auto industry, who has French, Brazilian and Lebonese citizenship, was released on bail of ¥1 billion (US$9 million) on Wednesday after being held for more than 100 days following his Nov 19 arrest by prosecutors on suspicion of under-reporting his compensation.
In a scenario common in Japan’s justice system, Ghosn was arrested two more times on fresh suspicions, including aggravated breach of trust, each time allowing prosecutors to keep him in custody and interrogate him without his lawyers being present.
The term «hostage justice» refers to holding the suspect in custody while pressing for the «ransom» of a confession.
Ghosn’s case has sparked harsh international criticism of Japan’s justice system, in which 99.9 per cent of people charged with crimes are convicted.
«The affair was reported abroad and many Japanese know that the Japanese criminal justice system is not necessarily at a global standard,» wrote former Tokyo District Court judge Takao Nakayama in the Nikkei business daily.
