Society

With Ghosn gone, Japan sets trial date for ex-Nissan executive left behind

Jul 31 (autoblog.com) - Former Nissan executive Greg Kelly, who was arrested in connection with the financial scandal of his ex-boss Carlos Ghosn, will soon face trial in a Tokyo court. Both cases had been in limbo after Ghosn fled to Lebanon.

Tokyo Deputy Chief Prosecutor Hiroshi Yamamoto said Thursday the trial of Kelly, an American, and Nissan Motor Co., a defendant in the same trial as a company, will start Sept. 15.

He said prosecutors had â€œa solid caseâ€ to back allegations Kelly was involved in Ghosnâ€™s alleged under-reporting of future compensation.

Ghosn has publicly denounced the allegations as groundless and accused Nissan officials of a conspiracy to oust him. He is living in Lebanon, which does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.

Kelly, who also says he is innocent, appeared in a pre-trial session Thursday. Such sessions are closed in Japan, and other details were not disclosed.

Itâ€™s unclear how Kelly and Nissanâ€™s combined trial will progress. While Kelly is asserting innocence, Nissan has acknowledged guilt, seeking to distance itself from Ghosn and Kelly.

Kelly, a lawyer, was arrested at the same time as Ghosn, in November 2018. He was released on bail about a month later, and has since lived in Japan.

Separately, Japan is seeking the extradition of two Americans, Michael Taylor and Peter Taylor, wanted on charges of smuggling Ghosn out of Japan in a big box. They are being held in a Massachusetts jail without bail.

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