Jailed Ghosn Mounts Third Attempt for Bail

Carlos Ghosn has applied for the third time to be released on bail from a jail in Tokyo after 100 days of incarceration.

Ghosn, then chairman of Nissan Motor Co., was arrested on Nov. 19 and later charged with financial misdeeds. Under Japanese law, prosecutors can keep him in jail indefinitely by filing additional charges as they build their case. A trial isn’t likely to begin until at least June.

Ghosn has hired a more aggressive defense team led by Junichiro Hironaka. He has depicted his client as the victim of an internal Nissan conspiracy to oust him. The arrest also is considered by many observers as an effort by Nissan to thwart a likely merger with Renault SA.

Renault and the French government, its 15% owner, have been pushing to consolidate the alliance they launched 20 years ago. Nissan, which holds a 43% voting stake in Nissan, has bridled over Renault’s lopsided control over the alliance.