Reports in Japan suggest Motonari Otsuru will be replaced by Junichiro Hironaka
It is unclear why Motonari Otsuru has quit the defence team.
Photograph: Kim Kyung Hoon/Reuters
Motonari Otsuru, the lawyer heading the defence for Nissan’s former chairman Carlos Ghosn, has resigned.
Otsuru’s office and a statement submitted to the court confirmed that Otsuru had quit on Wednesday. It was the latest twist in Ghosn’s legal battle after he was arrested in November. He has been charged with falsifying financial reports by under-reporting his compensation and with breach of trust.
Ghosn has repeatedly said he is innocent.
It was unclear why Otsuru was no longer representing Ghosn. Another attorney chosen to represent the 64-year-old also resigned as of Wednesday.
Japanese media said Junichiro Hironaka has been hired to defend Ghosn but the lawyer’s office declined to comment.
Otsuru is a former star Tokyo prosecutor. However, Otsuru and Ghosn seemed to be at odds over his defence, with Ghosn strongly asserting his innocence from the start through his own statements, as well as those of his other lawyers, family members and representatives.
Ghosn has tried without success to gain release on bail, offering to wear an electronic monitoring tag.
The Tokyo district court, prosecutors and lawyers for Ghosn were scheduled to meet on Thursday to work on preparing for his trial.
Trials in Japan take much preparation and the meeting does not mean it will start soon.