French-Lebanese car tycoon Carlos Ghosn released from detention after months in Japanese jail

Lebanese-French tycoon Carlos Ghosn was freed from a Tokyo detention centre on Wednesday after more than 100 days in custody following a surprise court decision granting him bail of one billion yen ($9 million).

Former Nissan chief Ghosn left the detention centre in northern Tokyo flanked by guards, wearing a blue cap, a white medical face mask and a work jacket with orange reflective stripes.

His shock release on bail was the latest twist in a case that has gripped Japan and the business world since the auto industry titan's arrest on 19 November.

He paid the hefty bail amount "in cash", according to the Tokyo District Court which took the decision to free him on bail.

Ghosn, who turns 65 on Saturday, faces three charges of financial misconduct over allegations he under-reported his compensation and tried to shift losses to Nissan's books.

He strongly denies the claims and again proclaimed his innocence in a statement released overnight, adding that he was looking forward to his day in court.

"I am innocent and totally committed to vigorously defending myself in a fair trial against these meritless and unsubstantiated accusations," he said.

Ghosn had applied for bail twice previously without success, but he shook up his legal team last month, hiring renowned defence attorney Junichiro Hironaka, who quickly filed a new request.

The court had previously justified Ghosn's ongoing detention by saying he posed a flight risk and could seek to destroy evidence, so Hironaka's bail request offered restrictions intended to win the court's trust.

The bail terms reportedly prevent Ghosn from leaving Japan and include other measures restricting his communications.

Kyodo news agency said Ghosn's cell phone use would be restricted and he would only be allowed to access a computer in his lawyer's office during weekday daytime hours.

He will also be banned from contacting Nissan executives and other people with links to the allegations against him, but he could still attend board meetings if the court gives approval, Kyodo said.

'The Razor'

Ghosn's prolonged stay behind bars had shone the spotlight on Japan's controversial justice system and prompted criticism internationally and from rights groups.

Speaking to AFP and French daily Les Echos in January - his only interview with foreign media since his arrest - Ghosn said his continued detention "would not be normal in any other democracy".

"Why am I being punished before being found guilty?" he asked.

Under Japanese law, prosecutors can hold a suspect for up to 22 days while they investigate an allegation, and then can apply for repeated one-month stretches of pre-trial detention for each charge eventually levelled.

Suspects can, therefore, stay in detention for several months before their case comes to trial.

In a shake-up of his legal team last month, Ghosn replaced a former prosecutor known as "The Breaker" with Hironaka - who has earned the nickname "The Acquitter" for his court record and "The Razor" for his mental sharpness.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Hironaka had vowed a "completely new legal strategy" to obtain his client's release, and experts said the change of tack appeared to be behind the surprise bail ruling.

"I think the content of the lawyer's application changed the situation," said Japanese lawyer Nobuo Gohara.

Nissan declined to comment on the bail decision, saying it was a matter for courts and prosecutors.

However, it said that an internal probe had "uncovered substantial evidence of blatantly unethical conduct" and that "further discoveries related to Ghosn's misconduct continue to emerge".

"The company's focus is firmly on addressing weaknesses in governance that failed to prevent this misconduct," it added in a statement.

A towering figure once revered in Japan for turning around Nissan's fortunes, Ghosn also forged a successful alliance between Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and France's Renault.

But his attempts to deepen the alliance caused resentment in some quarters, and Ghosn has claimed the allegations against him are part of a "plot" by opponents of greater integration between the three firms.

Given the number of people involved in the complex case and their wide geographical spread, Hironaka said the case would run over a "very long time span".

However, he said prosecutors had begun handing over some of their evidence prior to a potential trial.