Disclosing annual executive pay over
After 2014, Kelly handed over his duties dealing with pay to another Nissan executive,
“There was decided paid compensation for
He referred to Ghosn as “Ghosn-san,” adding the Japanese honorific.
“We worked together to consider how to avoid disclosure of the unpaid compensation,” Ohnuma said of his work with Kelly.
Kelly, a former Nissan executive vice-president, is the only person to stand trial in what prosecutors have portrayed as a systematic plot to under-report Ghosn’s compensation.
He has been charged with under-reporting Ghosn’s compensation by
Ohnuma said he has worked at Nissan since 1982. He was the company's general manager from 2007 through
Ghosn was arrested and charged with Kelly in
Both Ghosn and Kelly say they are innocent.
In a statement as the trial opened earlier this month, Kelly stressed that the compensation plans were intended to be a legal way to keep Ghosn at Nissan. Famous for leading Nissan’s turnaround in the late 1990s, Ghosn might have opted for other high-paying jobs.
The prosecutors for the case have told the court that a deal was made with Ohnuma and Nada.
In a recent briefing to reporters, Chief Deputy Prosecutor
“The prosecutors have properly charged those who needed to be charged,” Yamamoto told reporters.
The trial is expected to last about a year.
Earlier, prosecutors outlined how several people at Nissan were involved in promising Ghosn pay, exploring various methods, such as stock options, pay through overseas companies and consulting fees.
Prosecutors have not explained how trying to avoid disclosure of unpaid compensation constitutes a crime. Prosecution for falsifying financial reports is rare in
The maximum penalty for Kelly, if convicted, given the multiple counts of the same charge he faces, is up to 15 years in prison or
The conviction rate in
Some members of Japan’s business community have expressed alarm over the trial.
Jacques Deguest, an expert on Japanese business and law, denounced it as unfair, calling it a “witch hunt,” with Kelly getting singled out.
“This is dangerous for the attractiveness of
“Japan would have been better showing to the world a fair trial with all responsible people treated the same way.”
___
© 2020 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved., source