The 1 billion yen bail set by the Tokyo District Court for the release of former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn is high compared to past bail amounts -- but not the highest ever in the nation.
Courts usually decide bail amounts based on the nature of the crime, the defendant's assets and other criteria.
Japan's highest bail amount since World War II is believed to be 2 billion yen. That amount was paid by the former chairman of Hannan Corp., a major meat wholesaler, who was held over a beef-mislabeling scam in 2004.
Yoshiaki Murakami, founder of the Murakami Fund, paid 500 million yen for his release in 2006. Murakami was convicted of insider trading related to a takeover bid for Nippon Broadcasting System Inc.
Former Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie, who was indicted on charges of corporate accounting fraud, was released on bail of 300 million yen in 2006.
Former Daio Paper Corp. Chairman Mototaka Ikawa also paid bail of 300 million yen. He was indicted on breach of trust charges for misappropriating funds of Daio Paper group companies, causing them 5.5 billion yen in losses.
Bail money is returned to a defendant after a trial. However, some or all of the amount can be confiscated if the defendant fails to appear in court or abide by bail conditions.
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