Tokyo Dismisses Macron's Concerns Over Ex-Nissan Chief's 'Long, Harsh' Detention

The investigation of the criminal case of former head of the Renault-Nissan alliance Carlos Ghosn is being conducted "in accordance with necessary procedures and under strict judicial control," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Monday, thereby dismissing French President Emmanuel Macron's concerns

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2019) The investigation of the criminal case of former head of the Renault-Nissan alliance Carlos Ghosn is being conducted "in accordance with necessary procedures and under strict judicial control," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Monday, thereby dismissing French President Emmanuel Macron's concerns.

On Sunday, Macron said that, during his Friday phone talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, he expressed concern over the "excessively long" detention of Ghosn, who has been in custody in Japan since November, and "harsh" conditions the French national was being kept in.

"We believe that the investigation of this criminal case is being conducted by fully independent investigative bodies in accordance with necessary procedures and under strict judicial control," Suga said.

Ghosn and Greg Kelly, his right-hand man, were arrested in Tokyo on November 19 on allegations of misreporting Ghosn's earnings to Nissan over a five-year period from 2010. On December 25, Kelly was released on bail.

Following the arrest, Nissan removed Ghosn from the post of its chairman. Last week, Ghosn resigned as chairman and CEO of Renault, which prompted the French automaker to conduct a management reshuffle.

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance is a partnership that focuses on the development of mechanical engineering. The Renault-Nissan alliance was established in 1999. Renault owns 43 percent of Nissan, while the Japanese company has a 15 percent stake in its French partner. In 2016, Nissan bought a 34 percent stake in Mitsubishi Motors, and as a result the world's largest automaker alliance was formed, with cumulative sales in 2017 totaling 10.6 million vehicles.