Japanese prosecutors have confirmed that Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn is being held at Tokyo Detention Center, a facility known for strict routines and sparse conditions that stand in sharp contrast to his former global executive life.
Experts familiar with the prison said Ghosn is most likely in a small 4.8-sq-m room with a toilet at one end. Some rooms have tatami mats and a futon, while others are fitted with beds.
The centre limits showers to set days rather than daily access, according to Hideto Ninomiya, a criminal defense lawyer who visited the facility three months ago. He said the rooms do not have heaters, televisions or radios, and detainees cannot use laptops or cell phones.
Yasuyuki Deguchi, a professor at Tokyo Future University, said the facility is not meant to be comfortable. “It doesn’t need to be comfortable because it’s not a hotel,” he said. “But it’s neat, hygienic and tidy.”
Former prosecutor Tsutomu Nakamura said belts, neckties and long-legged underwear are banned to reduce the risk of suicide attempts. Internet entrepreneur and convicted fraudster Takafumi Horie also described the centre as cold in a post on Twitter.
Ghosn was arrested on Monday and had not been formally charged at the time of the report. Under Japanese law, suspects can be held for up to 23 days before charges are filed.
Nissan, where Ghosn served as chief executive until 2017, says he used company funds for personal expenses and worked with board member Greg Kelly, who was also arrested, to under-report his income over five years from 2010.
Ghosn has not commented on the allegations, and Reuters said it had not been able to reach him.
How the detention centre operates ¶
The Tokyo facility, a tower-like building in eastern Tokyo, has also held some of Japan’s most notorious detainees. The leader of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, responsible for the 1995 sarin gas attack on Tokyo subways, was executed there by hanging this year.
Nakamura dismissed speculation that Ghosn was being given special treatment. “Everyone is treated in the same way, even a prime minister,” he said.
Ninomiya said meals are usually bento-style and offer little variety. Detainees are not allowed to sleep during the day, according to the Reuters reporter who visited the centre.
Family members may deposit money into detainees’ accounts so they can buy extra food and toiletries from the commissary. They can also send food items, books, magazines and clothing.
Deguchi said the centre is prepared for foreign detainees and has systems to deal with different languages. “Being a foreigner does not mean you are at a disadvantage there,” he said. “People working there are used to foreign detainees.”
Visits by family and friends are limited to 15 minutes once a day. It was not immediately clear how much time detainees are allowed to spend with lawyers.
When Ninomiya meets detained clients, he speaks to them through a glass window. He said some wear their own clothes, while others are given gray sweatshirts and sweatpants by the facility.
“They’re usually in shock and say it’s particularly hard to be in a private room because they can’t talk to anyone,” Ninomiya said. He added that the experience is especially difficult “for elites caught up in financial crimes.” “They can’t stand it and it makes them want to confess,” he said.
