Ghosn’s Escape Leaves Nissan’s Kelly to Face the Music Alone
- Japanese law requires defendants to be present to be tried
- Kelly faces charges related to understating Ghosn’s income
This article is for subscribers only.
Carlos Ghosn’s decision to flee to Lebanon last week effectively ended his legal prosecution in Japan, leaving former Nissan Motor Co. executive Greg Kelly at the center of the sprawling case.
Under Japanese criminal law, only minor accusations can be tried without a defendant, according to Nobuo Gohara, a former prosecutor. That’s not Ghosn. If found guilty of the allegations of financial misconduct, the chairman and chief executive officer of Nissan and Renault SA could have been sentenced to 10 or more years in prison, depending on the charges.