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Carlos Ghosn freed from jail after four months

TOKYO — Wearing a mask, cap and what looked like a construction worker's outfit, the former chairman of Nissan Motor Co., Carlos Ghosn, left a Tokyo detention center Wednesday after posting 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) bail. Although his face was obscured as he left the facility, Ghosn's identity was apparent as he smiled after arriving at a building in downtown Tokyo, having removed his jacket, mask and hat. There was a scramble by media to follow Ghosn after he boarded a small Suzuki van, topped with a ladder, and traveled from the Tokyo Detention Center toward downtown. Motorcycles trailed the van in formation as it passed through city streets to one of the defense lawyer's offices. Ghosn later left in another car, which was mobbed by media. Ghosn, the former head of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors alliance was arrested on Nov. 19. He is charged with falsifying financial reports and with breach of trust. The Tokyo District Court confirmed the 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) bail was posted earlier in the day, after a judge rejected an appeal from prosecutors requesting his continued detention. That cleared the way for Ghosn to leave the facility after spending nearly four months since his arrest. Before his release, Ghosn, who turns 65 on Saturday, issued a statement reasserting his innocence. "I am innocent and totally committed to vigorously defending myself in a fair trial against these meritless and unsubstantiated accusations," he said. A date for his trial has not yet been set. Suspects in Japan often are detained for months, especially those who insist on their innocence, like Ghosn. Some legal experts, including Junichiro Hironaka, one of his lawyers, have criticized the system as "hostage justice," saying the long detentions tend to encourage false confessions. Ghosn's lawyer in France, Jean-Yves Le Borgne, said the lawyers in Japan will be leading the defense but he was in touch with them. "He is catching his breath and settling in," Le Borgne said of Ghosn. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said a presumption of innocence for Ghosn was crucial, while noting the importance to France of the alliance between Nissan and French automaker Renault SA. "It is a good thing that Carlos Ghosn can defend himself freely and serenely, and his release will permit Carlos Ghosn to defend himself freely and serenely," he said. The French government owns about 15 percent of Renault SA, making it an influential voice in the future of the alliance.

Mitsubishi shows five concepts headed to the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon

Mitsubishi will storm the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon with seven concepts, five based on production models getting early previews. This year's haul more than doubles the trio of concepts Mitsubishi took to this year's Tokyo Auto Salon, and it's obvious the company put more effort into all of them as well. The wildest among the five could be the Delica D:5 imagined by Japanese director, producer and writer Teruo Ito. With the idea to rework the Delica into the idea of embodying charm "like a dog or a member of a family," Ito threw out the van's rectangular headlights, working with Mitsubishi designers to replace them with large round units inset like eyes. The anthropomorphic face is so important that the concept is apparently called the "D:5 eye," according to Google Translate. The van wears a "light army green" hue from its roof to its MLJ Daytona wheels, the interior done up in a olive tartan pattern.   Right behind it in the "Look at me!" stakes is the eK Cross Wild Beast Concept, a contrast to the "Cute Beast" that is the standard eK kei car. Drenched in yellow, with gray X graphics, a contrasting black roof and tailgate, black cladding, mud flaps, chunky rocker panels, roof rack and basket, and all-terrain tires, this one is meant to evoke a "playful outdoor image." In case the striking livery doesn't convey the message, the command to "Play the Nature" appears on the hood, roof rack and fuel filler cap. Inside, all-weather floor mats and a load bay mat stand ready to protect the interior from mud. Or Play-Doh. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV NERV is the widest combination of real and imaginary usefulness. Re: the latter, NERV is the fictional Japanese paramilitary organization that battles creatures called Angels in the "Neon Genesis Evangelion" anime. Warfare between the Evangelion units and the Angels tends to destroy a lot of animated real estate, hence the usefulness of a disaster relief vehicle like the Outlander PHEV, coordinated by the Gehirun Corporation that's also in the anime. For real-world service, designers installed a KYMETA u7 planar satellite antenna that can pick up signals from Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation — a Japanese-based satellite television and Internet company, and the Asia-focused Michibiki emergency broadcast and GPS service.

Carlos Ghosn to make first public appearance in seven weeks on Tuesday

Ousted Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn is set to make his first public appearance in seven weeks at a Tokyo court on Tuesday after he requested an open hearing to hear the reason for his continued detention. Ghosn has been held in a detention center since his Nov. 19 arrest on allegations of financial misconduct, which was followed by re-arrests over further allegations. The hearing will take place at 10:30 local time (0130 GMT) on Jan. 8, the Tokyo District Court said on Friday. The reason behind the timing of Ghosn's request was not clear. Earlier this week, the court approved an extension to Ghosn's detention until Jan. 11, after re-arrest by prosecutors who accuse him of aggravated breach of trust in transferring personal investment losses to Nissan. Those allegations center on the use of company funds to pay a Saudi businessman who is believed to have helped him out of financial difficulties, sources said last week. According to an article from The New York Times, Ghosn and his family assert that he is innocent. In remarks Ghosn made while under detention in Japan, he is reported to have said through his lawyer, "I want to have my position heard and restore my honor in court." Former Nissan executive Greg Kelly, who has been charged with conspiring to under-report Ghosn's income, has been released on bail after the court ruled against extending his detention while he awaits trial. Ghosn's arrest was followed by his removal from roles at Nissan and Mitsubishi. The case has rocked the auto industry and strained Nissan's ties with French partner Renault where Ghosn still remains chairman and chief executive. Renault has launched a search for an interim chief to fill Ghosn's roll at the French company as he deals with these legal cases in Japan. The arrest has also put some of the practices of Japan's criminal justice system under international scrutiny, including keeping suspects in detention for long periods and prohibiting defense lawyers from being present during interrogations. (Reuters contributed to this report.)Related Video: