Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn walked out of a Tokyo prison on bail late on Thursday after agreeing to restrictions on contacting his wife and vowing to fight allegations of financial crimes that could imprison him for up to a decade.
Mr Ghosn's lawyers had applied for a bail in a Tokyo district court on Monday and it was approved a second time on Thursday morning for $4.5 million (Dh16.5m).
“I am grateful that bail has been granted… thankful for my family and supporters in Japan and around the world who fought for my release,” Mr Ghosn said in a statement.
“I maintain my innocence and am committed to vigorously defending myself against these meritless and unsubstantiated accusations. I hope to be given a fair trial where the truth will come to light and I will be fully vindicated.”
A Tokyo court directed that Mr Ghosn cannot meet or communicate with his wife Carole Ghosn without prior permission, as a condition of bail.
"Restricting communications and contact between my wife and me is cruel and unnecessary," said Mr Ghosn.
As part of his previous bail conditions, surveillance cameras had to be fixed at the entrances of Mr Ghosn’s court-approved residence. He is also prohibited from accessing the internet and using email. He can only use a personal computer at his lawyer's office that is not connected to the internet.
Mr Ghosn was initially released on $9m bail in March after spending 108 days in jail but was re-arrested on April 4 on new charges, which his lawyers have strongly contested.
Prosecutors said they believe Mr Ghosn might destroy evidence if released. He has denied all the charges against him and said he is the victim of a boardroom conspiracy.
In a new round of charges filed on April 22, Mr Ghosn was charged with allegedly misdirecting $5m of company funds from July 2017 to July 2018 to a distributor in Oman, according to Tokyo prosecutors.
Mr Ghosn already faces three other charges related to allegedly understating his income and for allegedly transferring personal investment losses to Nissan, which he ran for two decades.
His lawyers have launched a campaign against the Tokyo prosecutors, noting that treatment of Mr Ghosn has violated international and human rights laws.
Mr Ghosn, widely credited with rescuing Nissan from failure and bringing it together with Renault and Mitsubishi Motors, was first arrested in November, sending shockwaves across Japan, France and the global automotive industry.
Until his arrest, Mr Ghosn, 64, led the alliance between Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors, which produces about 11 million cars annually.
The French government has a 15 per cent stake in Renault and is the largest shareholder in the company. The French carmaker owns 44 per cent of Nissan.
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses
