TOKYO -- Nissan's jailed ex-chairman, Carlos Ghosn, vowed to restore his good name in court after a month in detention, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said on Friday.
"Things as they stand are absolutely unacceptable," Ghosn was quoted as saying via his lawyer. "I want to have my position heard and restore my honor in court."
It was Ghosn's first comment since his arrest on Nov 19 for allegedly understating his income by about half over a five-year period from 2010. He was later charged with the same alleged crime covering the past three years.
A Tokyo court on Thursday unexpectedly rejected prosecutors' request to extend Ghosn's detention, raising speculation that he would get bail. However on Friday prosecutors arrested him again on new allegations of making Nissan shoulder $16.6 million in personal investment losses, dashing chances he would be released on bail before Christmas.
Ghosn wants to hold a news conference after he is released, NHK quoted his lawyer as saying. Ghosn, who formed an alliance among Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors, said he is not a flight risk and wants to be able to travel abroad, the report said.
The Ghosn case has put Japan's criminal justice system under international scrutiny and sparked criticism for some of its practices, including keeping suspects in detention for long periods and prohibiting defense lawyers from being present during interrogations, which can last eight hours a day.
