UPDATE: Court Says “No” to More Jail Time for Ghosn

A court in Tokyo ruled earlier today against extending the detention time for ex-Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who has been held in a Japanese jail since Nov. 19.

Ghosn’s attorneys tell reporters they will apply for bail. If approved, he could be released as soon as tomorrow. Reports say a court rejected an appeal by prosecutors to extend the detention. Observers note that prosecutors could keep Ghosn in jail longer by indicting him on another charge.

Japan’s legal system allows a suspect to be jailed for 10 days without being charged. Prosecutors can ask for a court order to extend the period for 10 more days as they continue their investigation.

Ghosn was indicted on Dec. 10 for hiding deferred compensation during fiscal 2010-2014. At the same time, prosecutors charged that Ghosn also failed to report $37 million in additional deferred compensation in fiscal 2015-2017.

The new charge added 10 more days of jail time for Ghosn, a period that expired today. The court was widely expected to routinely extend Ghosn’s detention by another 10 days. Observers note that it’s highly unusual for Japan’s judicial system to allow bail to suspects who insist they are innocent.