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A30 world news
Diabierna 4 Maart 2022

Ex-Nissan US exec Kelly gets suspended sentence, to go home

(AP) — A Tokyo court 9 billion yen ($78 million) makes the Leaf electric car
gave Greg Kelly, a for- in filings over eight years and Infiniti luxury models,
mer American executive through 2018. Kelly and his owns 15% of Renault. Nis-
at Nissan Motor charged defense said the aim was just san, based in the port city
with underreporting his to stop Ghosn from leaving of Yokohama, owns 34% of
boss Carlos Ghosn’s pay, for a competitor. smaller Japanese automaker
a suspended sentence, but Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Mo-
cleared him of most of the During the trial, the prosecu- tor. The French government
charges. tion presented as evidence owns 15% of Renault.
various documents calculat-
The verdict announced ing Ghosn’s so-called “de- Japanese executives are paid
Thursday of a 6-month sen- ferred compensation.” Nis- far less than their American
tence suspended for three san pleaded guilty and paid counterparts. When Japan
years will allow Kelly to re- a 200 million yen ($1.7 mil- began requiring disclosure of
turn to the U.S. during an lion) fine. high executive remuneration
appeal. Kelly’s defense law- in 2010, Ghosn’s pay of about
yers said they will appeal. It 2020, with Ghosn absent after Ghosn called the judgement Shimotsu, the judge, ac- $9.5 million even without the
was unclear if prosecutors he jumped bail in late 2019, a “save-face verdict” for the knowledged the evidence deferred compensation raised
would also do so. hiding in a box for music prosecutors and other Nissan did not connect Kelly di- eyebrows.
instruments on a private jet. executives that he accuses of rectly with what he called
Kelly, who appeared calm He fled to Lebanon, which colluding against him, Kelly, a “conspiracy” by Ghosn Kelly was released on bail
during the court session, has no extradition treaty with Renault and all shareholders. and Ohnuma. He also said and has been living with his
said afterward that he was Japan, and has been writing Ohnuma’s testimony was wife in Tokyo. He was hired
stunned by the verdict. books and making movies “I am relieved for Greg and crucial but not entirely reli- by Nissan’s U.S. division in
about his experiences. his family,” Ghosn said in a able because he had a plea 1988 and became a represen-
The court acquitted Kelly on Zoom call with a small group bargain. tative director in 2012, the
some counts but found him During Thursday’s session, of reporters. first American on Nissan’s
guilty of charges for just one Chief judge Kenji Shimotsu But he accused Kelly of put- board. He worked mostly in
of the eight years for which repeatedly slammed Ghosn, Ghosn denied allegations ting Ghosn’s interests before legal counsel and human re-
the compensation allegedly telling the court Ghosn that he conspired with anoth- Nissan’s. sources.
was under-reported. The de- showed greed and malice in er Nissan executive, Toshiaki
fense team said that was un- a “dictatorial rule” at Nissan. Ohnuma, to calculate unpaid Ghosn headed Nissan for Separately, two Americans
acceptable. Nissan’s faulty governance compensation and try to have nearly 20 years after its French extradited from the U.S. to
misled investors and had a it covertly paid later. He re- alliance partner Renault SA Japan on charges of smug-
Kelly was arrested in No- damaging impact, he said. iterated his complaints about sent him to lead a turnaround gling Ghosn out of Japan
vember 2018 at the same “hostage justice” in Japan, at the near-bankrupt Japanese were convicted last year. Mi-
time as Ghosn, a former Nis- Shimotsu said Ghosn made where suspects are often rail- automaker. His downfall was chael Taylor was sentenced
san chairman and head of the an arrangement for his com- roaded to convictions and the sudden, with Nissan officials to two years in prison and
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi pensation that was “conduct- conviction rate exceeds 99%. who had been close to him his son Peter to one year and
alliance. Both insist they are ed solely out of his personal accusing him of amassing eight months.
innocent and that the money greed.” Prosecutors had asked that power for personal gain and
in question was never paid or Kelly be sentenced to two planning a merger of Nissan Sen. Bill Hagerty, a Re-
decided on. “There is absolutely no room years in prison. They alleged with Renault. publican from Tennessee,
for extenuating circumstanc- Ghosn, Kelly and Nissan welcomed Kelly’s planned
The trial at Tokyo District es in his motive,” he said. Motor Co. underreported Renault owns 43% of Nis- homecoming.
Court began in September Ghosn’s compensation by san, while Nissan, which

Hundreds of Africans cross into Spain’s Melilla for 2nd day

(AP) — Hundreds of peo- Spanish security forces ac- center, and authorities were
ple tried for a second day The Spanish government’s On Wednesday, an unprec- tivated an “anti-intrusion” evaluating their circumstanc-
to climb over the fences delegation in Melilla said edented 2,500 people tried to mechanism early Thursday es.
that separate a Spanish 1,200 migrants attempted to enter the city, resulting in 491 to confront what the govern-
city in North Africa from scale the 6-meter (20-foot) crossings, according to local ment’s delegation described Melilla’s border security with
Morocco, authorities said barrier that perimeters the authorities. as “extreme violence” by tres- Morocco will be reinforced
Thursday. city and that 380 succeeded. passers who “threw stones, with 84 National Police and
used hooks and sticks” at Civil Guard officers, Moh
border agents. said..

Four Civil Guard officers Nonprofits working with mi-
were treated for injuries at a grants in Melilla, including
hospital, Sabrina Moh, the Solidary Wheels, said activists
central government’s dele- saw how Spanish authorities
gate in the city, told reporters. sent back to Morocco three
migrants sitting at the top of
People fleeing poverty or vio- the fence on Wednesday.
lence sometimes use mass
border incursion attempts to Mass border pushbacks are
reach Melilla and the oth- illegal under international
er Spanish territory on the refugee treaties because they
North Africa coast, Ceuta, as deny people the opportunity
a springboard to continental to apply for asylum, although
Europe. European courts have justi-
fied them in some instances.
Moh said the ones who suc-
ceeded this week were trans- Authorities didn’t immedi-
ferred to the local migrant ately address the allegation.