UPDATED: Carlos Ghosn's prison stay extended

UPDATED: ex-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn will remain in prison until 1 January, having had his detention extended by Japanese authorities following fresh charges of aggravated breach of trust. Ghosn was re-arrested in Tokyo on Friday. 

Ghosn had been expected to be released from prison after a court rejected a request by prosecutors to extend his detainment, but Japanese prosecutors have since charged Ghosn with shifting a large private investment loss onto Nissan in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. 

Ghosn has already been formally charged with financial misconduct – over claims he under-reported his salary over a five-year period – in Japan. His lawyer, Motonari Otsuru, issued a written statement this morning (Sunday 23 December) explaining that his client's actions did not constitute a breach of trust, and that the payments identified by prosecutors were made for work completed by an unidentified person at Nissan.

The architect of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Ghosn was arrested in Japan in November accused of under-reporting his salary, using company assets for personal use and other claims.

Ghosn was stripped of his chairman roles at Nissan and Mitsubishi after the allegations emerged, although he remains chairman and CEO of Renault.

Nissan has also been charged by prosecutors as a corporation involved in the case, according to Japan broadcaster NHK. Former Nissan representative director Greg Kelly, who was arrested at the same time as Ghosn, has been indicted, too. The court also rejected a request to extend his detention, so he could also be released on Friday.

If found guilty of the crimes he has been charged with, Ghosn could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and fined up to £4.9 million by Japanese financial regulators.