
Kelly, who was arrested along with Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn on Nov. 19, may be able to communicate with his family soon, Dee Kelly said in a video released through a lawyer Sunday. The men have been in a Tokyo jail since their arrest on allegations that they filed false financial reports that understated the chairman’s compensation.
“Since we issued a statement a few days ago, we’ve been overwhelmed by the words of support from people in the United States and around the world,” Dee Kelly said in the video. In an earlier statement released Wednesday, she accused Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa of leading a “power grab” and wrongfully accusing Ghosn and Kelly.
Dee Kelly thanked Bill Hagerty, the US ambassador to Japan; Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker; the US embassy in Tokyo and the State Department for their help, without elaborating. The handling of Ghosn and Kelly’s cases has cast scrutiny on Japan’s justice system, which allows prosecutors to hold those suspected of crimes for weeks without charges.
The Kellys live in Brentwood, Tennessee, and Nissan’s North American headquarters is in neighbouring Franklin.
Dee Kelly said that her husband, who was raised by parents who were both lawyers, is “a man of honour and integrity” who “holds himself to the highest ethical standards.” She reiterated that he had done nothing wrong and said he’d been “caught up in an international plot by some at Nissan to take control.”