Carlos Ghosn, former Nissan boss, skips bail in daring escape.
In a daring escape worthy of a Hollywood thriller, millionaire Carlos Ghosn has been smuggled out of Japan and flown to Lebanon in a private jet.
Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn skipped his $19.6 million bail and escaped Japan by hiding inside a double bass case on a private jet, the Sun newspaper reports.
Ghosn, 65, accused of financial misconduct, fled from Japan to the Middle East using a false passport.
Lebanese news channel MTV reports that a group of paramilitaries entered the home posing as musicians hired to perform at a dinner party and left with Ghosn hiding inside a box designed to hold a musical instrument.
The box is thought to have been a double bass case, typically about 190cm long.
Members of the Lebanon's security forces stand at the parking gate of the house identified by court documents as belonging to former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn in a wealthy neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital Beirut. Picture: Anwar Amro, AFP.
Members of the Lebanon's security forces stand at the parking gate of the house identified by court documents as belonging to former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn in a wealthy neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital Beirut. Picture: Anwar Amro, AFP.Source:AFP
The Brazilian-born executive spent more than 100 days in custody following his arrest in November 2018 on four charges of falsifying financial statements while boss of Nissan-Renault.He had been under house arrest in Tokyo awaiting trial but managed to evade police surveillance.
He said he was escaping “injustice and political persecution” claiming the Japanese justice system was “rigged as guilt is presumed, discrimination rampant, and basic human rights are denied”.
Ghosn, who spent his childhood in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan, is believed to have arrived in Beirut on a private jet from Istanbul.
Lebanese officials confirmed he entered the country legally and said there was no reason to take action against him.
One of his Japanese lawyers, Junichiro Hironaka, has called his behaviour “inexcusable”.
The episode represents a dramatic fall for Ghosn, hailed for rescuing Nissan, which he led from near bankruptcy over two decades.
He was also chairman and chief executive of Nissan’s French partner Renault and more recently led the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance.
Ghosn disclosed his location in a statement through his representatives but did not confirm how he managed to get out of Japan. He promised to talk to reporters next week.
“I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japan’s legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold,” the statement said.
Ghosn’s lawyer denied all knowledge of the escape, saying he was stunned.
Ghosn was expected to face trial in April this year.
He posted 1.5 billion yen ($19.6 million) bail on two separate instances after he was arrested a second time on additional charges, and released again. Prosecutors fought his release, but a court granted him bail on condition that he be monitored and not meet with his wife, Carole, who is also of Lebanese origin. Recently, the court allowed them to speak by video.
Ghosn, who was charged with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan and alliance partner Renault.
“Maybe he thought he won’t get a fair trial,” said his lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, stressing that he continues to believe Ghosn is innocent.
“I can’t blame him for thinking that way.”
The charges Ghosn faces carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Hironaka said the lawyers were holding Ghosn’s three passports, yet Lebanon’s minister for presidential affairs, Selim Jreissati, told the An-Nahar newspaper that Ghosn entered legally at the airport with a French passport and Lebanese ID. France reacted with surprise and some confusion.
The French foreign ministry said in a statement that French authorities “have heard from the press about the arrival of Carlos Ghosn to Lebanon.” They “have not been informed of his departure from Japan and have no knowledge of the circumstances of his departure,” the statement said.
Hironaka said he last spoke with his client on Christmas Day and was never consulted about leaving for Lebanon. However, he said the circumstances of Ghosn’s arrest, the seizure of evidence and the strict bail conditions were unfair.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/motoring-news/carlos-ghosn-former-nissan-boss-skips-bail-in-daring-escape/news-story/2d0719fd3bc2bda99896bca43511d7d9
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