6 die in a landslide caused by heavy rains in Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A landslide caused by heavy rains has killed six people near Mexico City, authorities said.

The landslide on Monday night in Naucalpan, a community northwest of Mexico City, also affected a house and school, the State of Mexico government said in a statement. The victims were four men and two women. Another three people were injured and transported to a state hospital.

State Gov. Delfina Gómez ordered the deployment of rescue teams and security task forces to support affected families.

The deaths in Naucalpan occurred a few days after another landslide killed nine people on Saturday in Jilotzingo, west of Mexico City in the State of Mexico. A 3-month-old baby was among the victims. Two children, ages 10 and 12, and a 34-year-old woman were rescued. Several homes were affected and authorities had to evacuate more than 100 people for fear of further landslides.

The landslides and heavy rains have been pounding the State of Mexico since the start of the rainy season in late July.

In cities like Chalco that have also experienced heavy torrential rains, the combination of unchecked growth and failing infrastructure have caused sewage-infused waters to invade streets, homes and businesses.

Estrella Bejarano, second from right, the mother of two children who died after a rain-induced landslide, speaks with relatives in Naucalpan, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

Estrella Bejarano, second from left, the mother of two children who died after a rain-induced landslide, speaks with relatives in Naucalpan, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

Soldiers guard the area where various people died after a rain-induced landslide, in Naucalpan, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

Residents gather near the site where various were buried after a landslide caused by rains, in Naucalpan, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

Municipal police officers guard the area where various people died after a rain-induced landslide, in Naucalpan, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

Residents volunteer at the site where various people died after a rain-induced landslide, in Naucalpan, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

Dogs sit next to a damaged house where various people died after a rain-induced landslide, in Naucalpan, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

Estrella Bejarano, center, the mother of two children who died after a rain-induced landslide, speaks with Mexico State Governor Delfina Gomez in Naucalpan, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

TOKYO (AP) — The six-year-old criminal case of Greg Kelly, an American ensnared in the scandal of Nissan’s former boss Carlos Ghosn, turned a page in a Japanese court Thursday, with his lawyer demanding “justice” with a verdict of total innocence.

Kelly, a former Nissan executive vice president, was arrested in 2018, on charges related to under-reporting the compensation of Ghosn, who led Nissan Motor Corp. for two decades. In 2022, Kelly was cleared of almost all counts and given a suspended sentence, which meant he didn’t serve time. He was found guilty for just one of the eight years for which the compensation allegedly was under-reported.

“The news traveled around the world, and Kelly’s reputation was tarnished literally on a global level,” defense lawyer Yoichi Kitamura told the Tokyo High Court.

In his final arguments, Kitamura denounced the lower court verdict as “unreasonable,” saying it didn’t make sense for Kelly to be part of a conspiracy for just the last year.

“I close my arguments by demanding the court carefully consider the evidence presented, come to judgment based on law and evidence to hand down the verdict of totally not guilty, restoring Kelly’s reputation and realizing justice,” Kitamura said, using the English word “justice.”

Presiding Judge Kazunori Karei promised a verdict on Feb. 4.

Kelly asserted his innocence from the start, as has Ghosn. Kelly returned to his home in Tennessee during the appeal and was not present in the courtroom.

Ghosn was also arrested and charged but fled to Lebanon while out on bail in 2019. He says he is innocent. Ghosn is unlikely to be ever tried as Japan has no extradition agreement with Lebanon.

Top Japanese executives tend to get far smaller salaries than their Western counterparts. When Japan began requiring top executives to disclose their compensation in 2010, Ghosn’s annual pay was cut by about half, or 1 billion yen ($10 million).

Testimony and documents presented during the trial showed Kelly tried to compensate Ghosn through possible post-retirement consultancy fees and paying him not to leave for a rival company, known as a “non-compete” agreement.

Kelly, a lawyer, says he was merely trying to retain Ghosn for Nissan’s best interests, using legal means, and the issues could have been sorted out in a board room, not a courtroom.

Prosecutors say they’re confident about their case, which alleges that Ghosn’s compensation was under-reported by 9 billion yen ($63 million) in filings over eight years through 2018.

Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://x.com/yurikageyama

FILE - Former Nissan Motor Co. executive Greg Kelly speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Tokyo, on Aug. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)