Further fund transfer added to Ghosn indictment

NHK -- May 15

Tokyo Prosecutors have added allegations related to another inappropriate fund transfer to the indictment of former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn.

The prosecutors say Ghosn's fund management company received about 18 million dollars from a Saudi Arabian businessman's company.

They have already indicted Ghosn on charges of aggravated breach of trust. They allege that he inappropriately transferred about 15 million dollars from a Nissan subsidiary to the Saudi Arabian man's company.

The investigators had suspected that the improper flow of funds happened after the businessman helped Ghosn to the tune of about 27 million dollars to cover a personal investment loss.

Ghosn had incurred latent losses of about 16 million dollars after the Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008.

But prosecutors now believe that Ghosn's fund management company received the 18 million dollars before then.

Preparatory court procedures are to begin on May 23, before the trial begins. Attention is focused on how Ghosn's attorneys will address the charges.