PRICE OF FREEDOM

Carlos Ghosn Leaves Tokyo Jail After Paying $9 Million Bail

Former Nissan CEO slipped past reporters in disguise.

Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan chairman, was freed Wednesday after 108 days behind bars in a Tokyo jail. Ghosn was forced to pay nearly $9 million in bail, The New York Times reports, and will now have to live in a court-approved residence in Tokyo as he prepares for a trial expected to begin later this year. A judge rejected an appeal by prosecutors to keep him detained until trial—he paid his bail in cash and walked out surrounded by police guards. He was reportedly disguised in a jumpsuit, cap, and surgical mask, which allowed him to sneak past a crowd of reporters that had been waiting for him to appear. His bail conditions reportedly include handing over his passports, having no contact with others involved in the case, and being monitored by security cameras at home. Ghosn has been accused of underreporting his pay and shifting personal losses to Nissan—charges he strongly denies. Since his arrest, he’s been removed as chairman of Nissan as well as its two allied companies Mitsubishi and Renault. However, he remains on the boards of all three companies.

opinion

GOING GOING GHOSN

Japan Scapegoats Nissan Boss in Overdue Corruption Crackdown

Jake Adelstein