The only thing dominating our news lately besides the Lebanese Revolution is Carlos Ghosn. We can’t help it. He’s here.
And since then, the Ghosn trial, his arrest, and his every move have been under a microscope and at the center of local and international media outlets alike.
In the latest developments in the Ghosn case, the family of the former executive at Nissan Motor, Greg Kelly, is questioning his ability to get a fair trial.
Greg Kelly was arrested on the same day as Carlos Ghosn in late 2018, accused of helping Ghosn violate the Japanese pay-disclosure laws.
As Kelly cannot leave the country pending the outcome of his case, as well as without his ex-boss’ testimony, he may not be able to fully defend himself against the allegations of the prosecutors that he had violated Japanese financial laws.
Ghosn’s Hollywood-like escape from Japan threw the legal case against him into a complete limbo. His arrival in Lebanon (legally or illegally) complicates the legal proceedings against his alleged accomplice Kelly.
Kelly, 63 of age, faces similar financial misconduct charges as Ghosn. His lawyer says his trial is expected to be underway in April 2020.
However, Japanese law requires defendants to be present for an accused to be tried and, his former boss Ghosn, said to be his only defendant, is gone.
Back in December 2018, Kelly was released on a USD 640,000 bail, almost one month after his arrest shortly after arriving in Japan for a Nissan board meeting.
Prosecutors allege that he conspired with Ghosn to hide the former Chairman’s deferred compensation estimated at over $140 million. Kelly and his lawyers have denied these charges.
According to several reports: In September, Kelly agreed to a $100,000 penalty and five-year suspension from serving as a Corporate Officer as part of a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, without admitting or denying the agency’s findings.
Kelly, an American citizen, served as one of three senior directors after a more than 30-year career with Nissan. He stepped down from his operational roles in 2015 while retaining the board seat.