Ghosn Condemns Latest 'outrageous' Arrest

Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn was rearrested early on Thursday in Tokyo on fresh financial misconduct allegations, with the auto tycoon slamming his detention as "outrageous and arbitrary".

Authorities arrested the 65-year-old less than a month after he was dramatically freed on bail following more than 100 days in detention.

His re-arrest was the latest twist in a case that has gripped Japan and the business world since November.

According to local media, prosecutors entered Ghosn's temporary accommodation in central Tokyo early on Thursday morning and he left with them by car shortly afterwards.

Ghosn issued a statement through his representatives, slamming the arrest as "outrageous and arbitrary".

"It is part of another attempt by some individuals at Nissan to silence me by misleading the prosecutors. Why arrest me except to try to break me? I will not be broken," he said, insisting that he is innocent of the claims against him.

Reports emerged on Wednesday that prosecutors were weighing rearresting Ghosn as they investigate claims related to at least US$32 million in Nissan funds transferred to a distributor in Oman.

According to a source familiar with the matter, some of this money is believed to have been used to buy a luxury boat for Ghosn and his family.

The former high-flying executive already faces three charges of financial misconduct related to allegations he under-reported his compensation and sought to transfer personal investment losses to Nissan's books.

He has denied any wrongdoing and took to Twitter for the first time Wednesday, using a newly created account that his spokespeople confirmed was authentic, to announce plans for a news conference.

"I'm getting ready to tell the truth about what's happening. Press conference on Thursday, April 11," said the tweet, sent in English and then Japanese.

A Nissan spokesman said the firm's internal probe had uncovered "substantial evidence of blatantly unethical conduct" and that their focus was on "addressing weaknesses in governance that enabled this misconduct."

Ghosn currently faces two separate charges of deferring his salary to the tune of nine billion yen (HK$633.8 million) and not revealing this in official documents to shareholders.

The Brazil-born auto sector pioneer, widely credited with saving Nissan from the brink of bankruptcy, also faces a charge of seeking to shift personal investment losses onto Nissan's books and then using company funds to pay a Saudi associate who stumped up collateral for him. (AFP)