Former Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn Released From Japanese Jail

By Dalia Mortada

Published March 6, 2019 at 11:48 AM CST

A man in a blue cap and mask is believed to be former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn as he leaves a Tokyo jail surrounded by security guards.

Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, left jail on Wednesday after spending nearly four months behind bars awaiting trial on corruption charges.

A Tokyo court rejected prosecutors' appeal after it set Ghosn's bail for $8.9 million yesterday on condition that he remain in Japan and is prevented from tampering with evidence. It took Ghosn three tries before courts agreed to release him.

The former executive was arrested in November on charges of understating his income by nearly half and saddling Nissan with personal investment losses.

In a written statement released Tuesday, Ghosn denied the allegations against him. "I am innocent and totally committed to vigorously defending myself in a fair trial against these meritless and unsubstantiated accusations," he said.

Ghosn was once credited for saving Nissan from bankruptcy and reviving the company after he took over in 1999.