auto dealer in black and red logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Ghosn, Nissan Indicted in Japan

Nissan and former executives Carlos Ghosn and Greg Kelly were formally indicted for violations of Japan’s financial instruments and exchange law.

Tariq Kamal
Tariq KamalFormer Associate Publisher
Read Tariq's Posts
December 10, 2018
Ghosn, Nissan Indicted in Japan

Japanese prosecutors have officially charged former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn with underreporting tens of millions of dollars in compensation over a five-year period.

Photo by Adam Tinworth via Flickr

2 min to read


TOKYO — Nissan Motor Co. and its erstwhile chairman, Carlos Ghosn, were formally charged with financial crimes in Japan Monday. Also indicted was former representative director Greg Kelly, who was arrested along with Ghosn Nov. 19 on charges that resulted from an internal investigation at Nissan.

Directors claimed to have uncovered numerous financial irregularities, including millions of dollars in unreported income. The board shared their findings with Japanese prosecutors and ousted Ghosn and Kelly shortly following their arrests. Ghosn also drew compensation from Renault and Mitsubishi as part of a nearly 20-year-old three-factory alliance. Renault has appointed an acting chief executive but has yet to officially remove Ghosn as chairman and CEO.

Ghosn, 64, and Kelly, 62, were indicted for conspiring to underreport Ghosn’s income over a five-year period that ended in March 2015. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a 10 million yen ($89,000) fine. Nissan faces a potential fine of up to 700 million yen ($6.2 million) for its role in the alleged crimes.

Ghosn and Kelly were also rearrested Monday on new charges pertaining to income earned between 2015 and 2017, almost certainly prolonging their three-week detention. The Japanese legal system allows authorities to hold suspects without bail for 72 hours after their arrest and seek a court order for another 20 days, all without charge. Prosecutors there are allowed to interrogate suspects without their attorneys present, and they enjoy a conviction rate unheard of in American courts: Only about 1% of cases brought to trail in Japan result in an acquittal or dismissal.

The nature of the system discourages public comment from detainees and defendants. Ghosn has yet to issue a statement since his arrest. In a press release, Nissan’s board pledged to step up their internal compliance efforts.

“Nissan takes this situation extremely seriously,” directors wrote, in part. “Making false disclosures in annual securities reports greatly harms the integrity of Nissan’s public disclosures in the securities markets, and the company expresses its deepest regret.”

Topics:Compliance

More Compliance

two cars on a billboard, No Hidden Fees
ComplianceMay 1, 2026

Dealer Ads and the FTC

The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.

Read More →
Complianceby StaffFebruary 4, 2026

AAMS Training and Mosaic Compliance Services Merge

The strategic combination is intended to expand technology-driven compliance solutions for the automotive industry.

Read More →
ComplianceOctober 6, 2025

The Jurisprudence of Pricing

Legal concept helps makes sense of California’s recently passed version of the failed federal CARS legislation.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
ComplianceJuly 17, 2025

Trump 2.0 and Enforcement Priorities

The upshot is don’t relax, because regulation indeed continues.

Read More →
Blue and white Automotive Service Professionals logo presented over a blue background with various wrench tools.
Fixed Opsby StaffJune 11, 2025

June Is Automotive Service Professionals Month

Observance is opportunity to thank technicians for their crucial role in auto retail.

Read More →
Complianceby StaffJanuary 30, 2025

Cox Automotive Releases Compliance Guide

New edition walks auto dealers through relevant regulations for 2025.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Complianceby StaffDecember 24, 2024

Trump 2.0 and Retail Automotive

Administration’s plans should generally bode well for the industry.

Read More →
Complianceby StaffOctober 17, 2024

CARS Rule Update: 5th Circuit Oral Arguments Recap

In this video, Jim Ganther of Mosaic Compliance Services, recaps the key takeaways from the oral arguments in the critical CARS Rule case, including potential outcomes and what dealers should do to stay ahead of compliance changes.

Read More →
ComplianceSeptember 19, 2024

State of the CARS Rule, Part 3

The players in the automotive industry should coordinate their responses to this pending regulation.

Read More →
Ad Loading...

The Future of Car Dealer Documents

Where forms, documents, agreements and contracts could be in 50 years.

Read More →