TOKYO: Tokyo prosecutors said Wednesday they will appeal a court ruling in which former Nissan executive Greg Kelly was handed a six-month suspended sentence for helping disgraced auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn.
The 65-year-old American was found guilty earlier this month by a Tokyo court, but only for his actions in the 2017 financial year. He was acquitted for the previous six years.
Prosecutors had sought two years in prison for Kelly, accusing him of helping Ghosn under-report his income to the tune of ¥9.1 billion between 2010 and 2018.
“We filed a motion for appeal today in the financial instruments and exchange law violation case involving defendant Kelly,” the prosecutors said in a statement obtained by AFP.
Kelly was detained at the same time as Ghosn in November 2018, but the former Nissan chief jumped bail and fled to Lebanon the following year, leaving Kelly alone to face charges.
Kelly’s lawyers said they would appeal after the hearing.