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Minister of Justice says Ghosn’s criticism of the Japanese justice system is ‘off the mark’

Japan’s Justice Minister Masako Mori attends a press conference in Tokyo on January 9, 2020. (AFP)
Japan’s Justice Minister Masako Mori attends a press conference in Tokyo on January 9, 2020. (AFP)
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09 Jan 2020 03:01:02 GMT9
09 Jan 2020 03:01:02 GMT9

Arab News, Tokyo

Japan’s Minister of Justice Mori Masako said that most of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn’s comments at his press conference Wednesday were “abstract, unclear or baseless.”

In a statement released Thursday, Mori said Ghosn’s criticism of Japan’s justice system is “off the mark.”

“Defendant Ghosn criticized Japan’s judicial system, calling it a‘hostage justice.’ Japan’s criminal justice system sets out appropriate procedures and is administered properly to clarify the truth in cases, while guaranteeing basic individual human rights,” the Minister of Justice said.

Mori also criticized Ghosn’s claim that fair judgment cannot be obtained, saying Japan’s prosecutors only indict a suspect if there is a high likelihood of the court’s conviction through sufficient evidence.

“The judges will make a decision from a neutral and fair position. Therefore, it is wrong to argue that a person cannot obtain a fair judgement because of the high conviction rate in Japan,” she said.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Ghosn said he faced long hours of interrogation and a lack of a lawyer’s presence. Mori said that Japan’s courts take into account basic human rights “by giving adequate breaks to the suspect during the interrogation.”

“They also ensure that appropriate interrogation is being conducted, including such means as recording and filming of the process,” Mori added.

Ghosn also claimed he was banned from seeing his wife, Carole Ghosn, and said it was a violation of basic human rights. However, Mori said there are no restrictions placed on a defendant, which bans them from seeing certain individuals, unless there was a flight risk or danger of evidence being concealed or destroyed.

Mori concluded her statement by saying that if Ghosn “has anything to say on his criminal case, he should make his argument at a Japanese court and present concrete evidence.”

“It is my strong hope that defendant Ghosn engages in all possible efforts to make his case within Japan’s fair criminal justice proceedings, and that he seeks justice rendered by a Japanese court,” she said.

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