TOKYO: Tokyo District Court on July 30 decided to hold the first hearing for Nissan Motor Co. and former director Greg Kelly on Sept. 15 in a trial over a scandal involving former Chairman Carlos Ghosn.

Kelly, 63, is charged with violating the financial instruments and exchange law over his alleged involvement in underreporting of Ghosn’s pay.

Sources said Kelly plans to plead not guilty while Nissan is expected to admit guilt.

Former President Hiroto Saikawa, 66, is expected to take the witness stand.

The first hearing was initially arranged for April to coincide with that of Ghosn, 66. However, the former chairman fled to Lebanon at the end of last year.

There was an option of holding the hearing in May. But the novel coronavirus epidemic dashed the possibility.

According to the indictment, Kelly conspired with Ghosn to underreport the latter’s pay by 9.1 billion yen in securities filings over the eight years through fiscal 2017.

Nissan was indicted based on the dual liability clause, in which a company is punished together with the person who committed a crime for it.

JIJI Press