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| Carlos Ghosn, ousted Nissan boss, says he has fled 'Japanese injustice' | Carlos Ghosn, ousted Nissan boss, says he has fled 'Japanese injustice' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Lawyers question how the executive, who had been banned from leaving Japan, had managed to escape without any of his passports | |
| Carlos Ghosn, who is awaiting trial on charges of financial misconduct, has left Japan and arrived in Lebanon to “escape injustice”. | Carlos Ghosn, who is awaiting trial on charges of financial misconduct, has left Japan and arrived in Lebanon to “escape injustice”. |
| The former Nissan chairman issued a statement on Tuesday morning in which he said he would “no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed”. | The former Nissan chairman issued a statement on Tuesday morning in which he said he would “no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed”. |
| “I have not fled justice – I have escaped injustice and political persecution,” Ghosn said in the statement, adding that he could “finally communicate freely with the media, and look forward to starting next week”. | “I have not fled justice – I have escaped injustice and political persecution,” Ghosn said in the statement, adding that he could “finally communicate freely with the media, and look forward to starting next week”. |
| It was not clear how Ghosn, who was out on bail and barred from leaving Japan, had fled the country. | It was not clear how Ghosn, who was out on bail and barred from leaving Japan, had fled the country. |
| One of Ghosn’s Japanese lawyers told reporters on Tuesday that his legal team were still holding all three of his passports and that he could not have used any of them to escape Japan. The former auto executive has French and Lebanese citizenship and was born in Brazil. | One of Ghosn’s Japanese lawyers told reporters on Tuesday that his legal team were still holding all three of his passports and that he could not have used any of them to escape Japan. The former auto executive has French and Lebanese citizenship and was born in Brazil. |
| Junichiro Hironaka said he had not spoken to Ghosn since last week and that he was “surprised” by his client’s arrival in Lebanon. His client’s actions were “inexcusable”, he said. | Junichiro Hironaka said he had not spoken to Ghosn since last week and that he was “surprised” by his client’s arrival in Lebanon. His client’s actions were “inexcusable”, he said. |
| The Tokyo prosecutor’s office had no comment when contacted about Ghosn. | The Tokyo prosecutor’s office had no comment when contacted about Ghosn. |
| A Nissan spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the Lebanese embassy in Tokyo said: “We did not receive any information.” | A Nissan spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the Lebanese embassy in Tokyo said: “We did not receive any information.” |
| The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Ghosn did not believe he would receive a fair trial in Japan. The former executive, who rescued Nissan from the brink of bankruptcy two decades ago and masterminded a successful alliance with Renault, was “tired of being an industrial political hostage”, it quoted an associate as saying. | The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Ghosn did not believe he would receive a fair trial in Japan. The former executive, who rescued Nissan from the brink of bankruptcy two decades ago and masterminded a successful alliance with Renault, was “tired of being an industrial political hostage”, it quoted an associate as saying. |
| Ghosn’s original bail conditions required him to surrender his passport and remain at a court-designated house in Tokyo preparing for his trial, which was expected to begin in April next year. He was forbidden from seeing his Lebanese-born wife, Carole Nahas, without special permission, and had limited internet access. | Ghosn’s original bail conditions required him to surrender his passport and remain at a court-designated house in Tokyo preparing for his trial, which was expected to begin in April next year. He was forbidden from seeing his Lebanese-born wife, Carole Nahas, without special permission, and had limited internet access. |
| Ghosn arrived in Beirut from Turkey on a private plane, Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria said, adding that he was expected to hold a news conference in the coming days. “Ghosn reached Beirut, but it’s unclear how he left Japan,” Agence France-Presse quoted a Lebanese security official as saying. | Ghosn arrived in Beirut from Turkey on a private plane, Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria said, adding that he was expected to hold a news conference in the coming days. “Ghosn reached Beirut, but it’s unclear how he left Japan,” Agence France-Presse quoted a Lebanese security official as saying. |
| Japan’s public broadcaster NHK quoted a member of Ghosn’s defence team and prosecutors as saying they were unaware that Ghosn may have left the country. | Japan’s public broadcaster NHK quoted a member of Ghosn’s defence team and prosecutors as saying they were unaware that Ghosn may have left the country. |
| The 65-year-old, who was born in Brazil, was arrested in November 2018 shortly after arriving in Japan on his private jet. He faces four charges, including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to dealerships in the Middle East. | The 65-year-old, who was born in Brazil, was arrested in November 2018 shortly after arriving in Japan on his private jet. He faces four charges, including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to dealerships in the Middle East. |
| Ghosn, who has consistently denied the charges, spent more than 120 days in detention before being released on bail for a second time in late April. His treatment drew international criticism and claims that prosecutors were subjecting him to “inhuman” treatment. | Ghosn, who has consistently denied the charges, spent more than 120 days in detention before being released on bail for a second time in late April. His treatment drew international criticism and claims that prosecutors were subjecting him to “inhuman” treatment. |
| Ghosn said in a video message in April that he had been unfairly portrayed by “backstabbing” Nissan executives as “a personage of greed and a personage of dictatorship”. | Ghosn said in a video message in April that he had been unfairly portrayed by “backstabbing” Nissan executives as “a personage of greed and a personage of dictatorship”. |
| He said he had been the victim of a boardroom coup, accusing former colleagues of targeting him in an attempt to derail a closer alliance between Nissan and Renault. | He said he had been the victim of a boardroom coup, accusing former colleagues of targeting him in an attempt to derail a closer alliance between Nissan and Renault. |