Japanese prosecutors re-arrested on Friday the ousted Nissan boss, Carlos Ghosn, over fresh allegations of making the company shoulder $16.6 million in personal investment losses, apparently dashing his hopes of early release.
The case of the once-revered 64-year-old tycoon has gripped Japan since he was arrested as he stepped off his private jet at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on November 19.
He had appeared set for release Friday after a court surprisingly rejected the prosecutors' demand to extend his detention for further questioning.
But instead of being granted bail, Ghosn was arrested Friday on suspicion of a separate issue of financial wrongdoing, involving the transfer of 1.85 billion yen ($16.6 million) in losses from a swap contract from his own asset management fund to Nissan.
"The accused was responsible for managing Nissan's overall operations and for dutifully fulfilling his role as CEO not to cause damage to Nissan and its subsidiaries... but he took action that betrayed his role and caused financial damage to Nissan," prosecutors alleged.
According to public broadcaster NHK, Ghosn denies this latest set of allegations.
The Franco-Brazilian-Lebanese businessman has already been formally charged with under-reporting his income by tens of millions of dollars over several years and faces a second batch of allegations that this continued for three further years.
On Thursday a court refused to extend his detention over the second set of allegations, with media reporting the charges were too similar to the first set.
But this fresh arrest gives prosecutors 48 hours to question him on the new matter. Under Japanese law, they can then apply for a fresh extension of 10 days, plus a further 10 days, to investigate the new claims.
His right-hand man, Greg Kelly, who faces the same initial charge, was not rearrested on Friday and his lawyer has requested bail, according to a court statement.
