The writer is Japan’s minister of justice
Recent developments in the case of Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance who fled Japan for Lebanon at the end of December, have focused international attention on the Japanese criminal justice system. This system is designed to ensure the sound functioning of corporate life, while at the same time safeguarding the basic human rights of suspects and the accused.
Mr Ghosn was indicted on charges of fraudulently understating his cash remuneration in annual security reports, in violation of Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. He was also charged with aggravated breach of trust for allegedly transferring a large sum of money from the bank account of a Nissan subsidiary to one which, in effect, belonged to Mr Ghosn himself.