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New Clues Emerge in Carlos Ghosn’s Escape From Japan Carlos Ghosn Was Aided in Flight From Japan by Former Green Beret
(about 5 hours later)
TOKYO — New clues emerged on Friday on how Carlos Ghosn pulled off his escape from Japan, as a Turkish charter jet company said its planes were used illegally to pull off the plan, while the Japanese news media reported that surveillance camera footage showed the disgraced auto industry mogul leaving his Tokyo home on Sunday by himself. TOKYO — Carlos Ghosn was aided in his escape from Japan by an American security consultant who accompanied him on the flight out of the country, a person familiar with the matter said, while a Turkish charter jet company said on Friday that its planes were used illegally to pull off the plan.
Taken together, the disclosures paint a picture of a dash across Japan to a waiting plane that flew Mr. Ghosn across Asia to Lebanon. Still, most of the details of his getaway remain murky and unconfirmed. The authorities in Japan and Turkey still appear to be investigating how he did it. The Japanese news media also reported on Friday that surveillance camera footage showed the disgraced auto industry mogul leaving his Tokyo home by himself on Sunday, a day before he turned up in Beirut, Lebanon.
Mr. Ghosn — who has maintained that he is innocent — was facing four charges of financial wrongdoing in Japan and was set to go on trial sometime this year. But he escaped instead, saying that he did not trust what he called the “rigged” Japanese justice system to give him a fair trial. He built and once ran the Nissan-Renault auto alliance, one of the world’s biggest car-making empires, but was arrested after arriving in Tokyo in November 2018. With the new details, a clearer — if still imperfect — picture is emerging of how Mr. Ghosn, Japan’s most prominent criminal defendant, managed to evade authorities. The American consultant, a former United States Green Beret named Michael Taylor, was introduced to the disgraced auto executive by Lebanese intermediaries months ago, said the person, who asked not to be identified to discuss a sensitive issue.
In Turkey on Friday, MNG Jet, an aircraft charter company, said one of its employees had falsified records to remove Mr. Ghosn’s name from the official documentation for two flights. The company said the employee had confessed to acting alone, without management’s knowledge. MNG Jet did not disclose the employee’s name. Turkish media outlets have reported that Mr. Taylor and another American were the only people listed as passengers on a manifest for the flight that carried Mr. Ghosn from Japan to Turkey. On Friday, MNG Jet, an aircraft charter company, said one of its employees had falsified records to remove Mr. Ghosn’s name from the official documentation for two flights.
Five people — four pilots and MNG Jet’s operations manager — were sent to pretrial detention by a Turkish court, according to local media reports, and an official at the ground services provider Havas said prosecutors had released two of its employees. Taken together, the disclosures paint a picture of a dash across Japan to a waiting plane. Still, most of the details of his getaway remain unconfirmed by authorities in Japan, Turkey or Lebanon.
Mr. Ghosn — who has maintained that he is innocent — was facing four charges of financial wrongdoing in Japan and was set to go on trial sometime this year. But he escaped instead, saying that he did not trust what he called the “rigged” Japanese justice system to give him a fair trial. He built and once ran the Nissan-Renault auto alliance, one of the world’s biggest car-making empires, but was arrested in November 2018.
News outlets in Turkey reported this week that Mr. Ghosn left on a plane from Osaka, Japan, late Sunday aboard a business jet and landed at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. He then switched planes and flew to Beirut, the reports said.News outlets in Turkey reported this week that Mr. Ghosn left on a plane from Osaka, Japan, late Sunday aboard a business jet and landed at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. He then switched planes and flew to Beirut, the reports said.
The news accounts match the flight records of a Bombardier business aircraft operated by MNG Jet that took off from Osaka just after 11 p.m. local time and landed in Istanbul about 12 hours later, according to data from FlightAware, a flight tracking service. Mr. Taylor, a former member of an Army Special Forces team, works as a security consultant. He was once hired by The New York Times to assist in the rescue of David Rohde, then a Times reporter, who was kidnapped by militants in Afghanistan and held for seven months in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Mr. Rohde ultimately escaped on his own in June 2009.
MNG Jet said it had no indication the two flights were connected. It said that it filed its criminal complaint in Turkey on Wednesday and that it “hopes that the people who illegally used and/or facilitated the use of the services of the company will be duly prosecuted.” Mr. Taylor was indicted in 2012 for his role in a plan to obstruct a federal fraud investigation into bid rigging of Defense Department contracts. He served time in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, but the government returned $2 million that had been taken from him, as well as two Land Rovers, according to court records.
The jet company has also helped ship gold out of Venezuela, helping the government there in its efforts to raise cash, according to Caracas Capital, an investment bank that has been tracking the gold shipments. The movement of MNG’s jets through Venezuela were confirmed by online flight trackers. Mr. Taylor’s involvement in Mr. Ghosn’s escape was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The news accounts of Mr. Ghosn’s flight match the records of a Bombardier business aircraft operated by MNG Jet that took off from Osaka just after 11 p.m. local time and landed in Istanbul about 12 hours later, according to data from FlightAware, a flight tracking service.
MNG Jet said it had no indication the two flights were connected. It said that it filed a criminal complaint in Turkey on Wednesday and that it “hopes that the people who illegally used and/or facilitated the use of the services of the company will be duly prosecuted.”
The company said the employee who falsified flight records had confessed to acting alone, without management’s knowledge. MNG Jet did not disclose the employee’s name.
Five people — four pilots and MNG Jet’s operations manager — have been sent to pretrial detention by a Turkish court, according to local media reports, and an official at the ground services provider Havas said prosecutors had released two of its employees.
The jet company has also transported gold out of Venezuela, helping the government there in its efforts to raise cash, according to Caracas Capital, an investment bank that has been tracking the gold shipments. The movement of MNG’s jets through Venezuela were confirmed by online flight trackers.
MNG is the “go-to company if you want to have something done,” said Russ Dallen, the managing partner at Caracas Capital.MNG is the “go-to company if you want to have something done,” said Russ Dallen, the managing partner at Caracas Capital.
It is not clear how Mr. Ghosn, who was under heavy surveillance in Tokyo, could have eluded the authorities and make his way to Osaka, which is roughly 300 miles west of Tokyo. It is not clear how Mr. Ghosn, who was under heavy surveillance in Tokyo, eluded the authorities and make his way to Osaka, which is roughly 300 miles west of Tokyo.
In Japan on Friday, news outlets reported that Mr. Ghosn walked out of his Tokyo home alone on Sunday but never came back. The news reports cited anonymous sources with knowledge of footage of the cameras surrounding his rented house in a central district of the city.In Japan on Friday, news outlets reported that Mr. Ghosn walked out of his Tokyo home alone on Sunday but never came back. The news reports cited anonymous sources with knowledge of footage of the cameras surrounding his rented house in a central district of the city.
Prosecutors are investigating whether Mr. Ghosn, after leaving his home, met up with a group that helped his escape to Lebanon, according to the national broadcaster NHK and the economic daily Nikkei Shimbun.Prosecutors are investigating whether Mr. Ghosn, after leaving his home, met up with a group that helped his escape to Lebanon, according to the national broadcaster NHK and the economic daily Nikkei Shimbun.
The footage described in the news reports was from security cameras installed in front of the two-story house in an upscale neighborhood in the city center, the outlets reported, citing sources close to the investigation. Three surveillance cameras had been installed above the doorway of Mr. Ghosn’s house as part of a bail agreement that placed tight restrictions on his movements and ability to communicate with the outside world. The footage described in the news reports was from security cameras installed in front of the two-story house in the city center, the outlets reported. Three surveillance cameras had been installed above the doorway of Mr. Ghosn’s house as part of a bail agreement that placed tight restrictions on his movements.
The mystery has fed into some colorful theories. At least one Lebanese news media outlet had reported that Mr. Ghosn was smuggled out of his home in a musical instrument box. Lebanese officials have said Mr. Ghosn — who is a citizen of Brazil, France and Lebanon — arrived legally with a French passport, even though he had agreed to surrender three of his passports to his lawyers as a condition of his bail. Amie Tsang contributed reporting from London. Jack Begg contributed research.
The Japanese authorities have stayed conspicuously silent about the escape of the country’s most prominent criminal defendant. Prosecutors raided Mr. Ghosn’s Tokyo home on Thursday afternoon. Mr. Ghosn’s departure appeared to be timed for the eve of Japan’s weeklong New Year’s Day holiday, the country’s most important.
Still, signs are mounting that Japanese officials are responding. On Thursday, Albert Serhan, the Lebanese justice minister, said the country’s public prosecutor had received a red notice from Interpol related to Mr. Ghosn’s case, according to the state-run National News Agency. Such a notice is issued for individuals wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.
Interpol’s online list of public red notices did not show an entry for Mr. Ghosn as of early Friday.
Amie Tsang contributed reporting from London.