The wife of ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn was questioned by prosecutors in a closed-door hearing at the Tokyo District Court on Thursday, a week after her husband was arrested for a fourth time.
Carole Ghosn returned to Japan on Wednesday - days after she left the country to seek help from the French government – and was to be questioned by authorities, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
"(She) responded in a sincere manner. We believe this will lead to Mr. Ghosn's acquittal," said Ghosn's lawyer Junichiro Hironaka, according to Kyodo News.
Carole Ghosn entered the courthouse at around 2:30 p.m. local time and left about 2 1/2 hours later, Kyodo reported.
Prosecutors last week arrested the former Nissan chairman for the fourth time on suspicion he tried to enrich himself at a cost of $5 million to the automaker. The tycoon was previously arrested and charged for financial misconduct and has denied wrongdoing.
Authorities had also wanted to question Carole Ghosn on suspicion that her husband had siphoned funds through a company where she is an executive to purchase two boats, public broadcaster NHK has reported.
Carlos Ghosn, a French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizen, has said he is the victim of a boardroom coup. He is being held in the Tokyo Detention Center, where he spent 108 days after his initial arrest on Nov. 19.
Prosecutors have until April 14 to question the auto sector legend after which they can apply for a further 10-day period of custody.
The Nikkei reported that his wife arrived back in Japan at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Wednesday, quoting her as saying she wanted to tell a court that there was "absolutely nothing illegal".
