Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn hit with fresh charge in Japan, files for bail

Japanese authorities Monday hit former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn with a fresh charge of aggravated breach of trust, fourth formal indictment against auto sector tycoon who immediately filed for bail.

Tokyo District Court confirmed that prosecutors h filed new indictment and hours later said that Ghosn's crack legal team h filed a request for executive to be released on bail.

65-year-old strenuously denies all allegations against him and insists y have been cooked up in a "plot" by Nissan executives wary of his plans to bring Japanese car giant closer to its French partner Renault.

According to formal charge sheet, Ghosn is accused of funnelling millions in Nissan funds to a dealership in Middle East and syphoned off around five million dollars for his personal use.

transfers were me "with purpose of benefiting himself by receiving part of money," alleged prosecutors.

Nissan itself said it h filed a criminal complaint against its former boss "after determining that payments me by Nissan to an overseas vehicle sales company via a subsidiary were in fact directed by Ghosn for his personal enrichment and were t necessary from a business standpoint." Experts believe se are most serious charges yet against Ghosn since he was dramatically arrested on vember 19 as he landed in his private jet at a Tokyo airport.

Ghosn has alrey won bail once before -- but under strict conditions such as agreeing t to leave country and living under surveillance.

When he last won bail, Ghosn walked out of detention centre in front of world's media dressed like a Japanese labourer with a cap and a face mask in an apparent attempt to give reporters slip.

RE | Granting Bail To Carlos Ghosn Could Risk Destruction Of Evidence: Tokyo Prosecutor

rollercoaster case of executive, once revered in Japan for saving Nissan from brink of bankruptcy, has gripped business world and shone a spotlight on Japanese legal system that has come in for some criticism especially from abro.

Japan's justice system allows authorities to keep suspects in custody for prolonged periods and trials almost always result in a conviction -- sparking outr from outside country.

Monday was end of maximum period authorities h to question Ghosn, who is w technically in pre-trial detention.

Ghosn case represents a precipitous downfall for an executive who has gone from a life of luxury and private jets as he ran three huge car companies to a small cell.

Nissan says an internal investigation uncovered "substantial evidence of blatantly unethical conduct" by former chairman.

He has alrey been stripped of his position on board at Nissan and resigned from he of Renault and three-way alliance two companies share with Mitsubishi Motors.

His wife Carole has also been questioned by prosecutors in Tokyo.

She was allegedly president of a company registered in British Virgin Islands which received some of five million dollars moved from Nissan funds to go towards a luxury yacht.

Carole Ghosn has also denied any wrongdoing and been active in media in recent days, writing an opinion piece in Washington Post calling on US President Donald Trump to lean on Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe to allow her husband to obtain bail.

Ghosn's lawyers have expression reservations that he will receive a fair trial as 99 percent of all cases that come to trial end in a conviction.

Carole Ghosn has also said she is concerned about her husband's health in conditions in Japanese jail that Ghosn himself said he would t wish on his "worst enemy."

His lawyers in Paris have urged French government to insist he be tried in France as a fair trial would "only be possible" re, according to m. 

RE | Detention Of Nissan’s Ex-chairman Carlos Ghosn Extended To April 22