Carlos Ghosn may have to remain in custody in Japan until his trial for alleged financial misconduct after his latest bid for freedom failed.
Lawyers for the ousted Nissan chairman went to court in Tokyo on Tuesday in a renewed attempt to get bail for the 64-year-old, two months after his shock arrest.
It emerged he had offered to wear an electronic tag, be monitored by guards and remain at an apartment in the Japanese capital in return for his release.
His spokesperson also said Mr Ghosn had offered collateral in the form of Nissan shares to help ease concerns he might flee the country.
Image: It is not yet known when Mr Ghosn is due to face trial
However, the court dismissed the application – not unusual for the Japanese justice system, which usually only grants bail in minor cases where a full confession has been secured.
:: Nissan and Mitsubishi outline Ghosn ‘improper payments’
News of the scandal broke on 19 November when Nissan revealed a series of allegations, including that he under-reported his income “over many years” and used the business’s money for personal purposes.
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It is widely understood the sums involved run into tens of millions of pounds. The charges state the alleged income offences took place over eight years.
In a statement on Monday, Mr Ghosn again insisted he is innocent.
Image: Emmanuel Macron’s government is pushing for a change of leadership at Renault
He said: “I will attend my trial not only because I am legally obligated to do so, but because I am eager to finally have the opportunity to defend myself.
“I am not guilty of the charges against me and I look forward to defending my reputation in the courtroom.”
Despite losing his roles at Nissan and Mitsubishi, Mr Ghosn remains chief executive and chairman of Renault – which runs a three-way alliance between the carmakers.
Until this month, Renault had been unwilling to consider life without Mr Ghosn and said it was yet to see any evidence of wrongdoing.
But the company – which counts the French government as a major shareholder – is now expected to distance itself from him as it looks to the future and tries to protect the alliance.
French media has reported that the government is pushing for some kind of full merger, but Nissan has signalled it is not the time to be exploring a strengthening of their relationship despite Renault’s current 43% stake in its own business.