Former Renault Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, who was prosecuted by the judiciary in Japan for financial crimes, left the country completely unexpectedly. The 65-year-old entered Lebanon. Under what circumstances he could leave Japan was initially unclear. Ghosn had been released there in spring under strict conditions.
Ghosn confirmed earlier information from Lebanese government and security circles on Tuesday that he was in Lebanon. He said in a written statement that he had fled “injustice and political persecution” in Japan. He was no longer held hostage by the “manipulated Japanese judicial system”.
Circumstances of departure unclear
The former top manager of the automotive industry did not comment on the precise circumstances of his spectacular departure. Apparently, however, it was not part of an agreement with the Japanese judiciary. The Japanese public broadcaster NHK quoted an employee of the foreign ministry there as saying that Ghosn should not have left the country: “If we had known about it in advance, we would have informed the responsible law enforcement authorities.”
According to information from Lebanese circles, Ghosn traveled to Lebanon via Turkey. It was flown from Turkey on a private plane, it was said. Ghosn’s parents are from Lebanon. He was born in Brazil, but spent most of his childhood in Lebanon.
Trial scheduled for April
In Japan, Ghosn had been detained for more than four months. In April, he was released on bail after a second term in prison, and an exit ban was imposed on him. The start of his trial was scheduled for April.
Ghosn stated that he had not escaped “from justice” but from a judicial system in which the accused’s guilt was assumed and “basic human rights were denied”. He was arrested in Japan in November 2018. The prosecutor’s office there accuses him, among other things, of misusing company capital and transferring private losses to Nissan. Ghosn rejects all allegations.
He spoke of a Nissan conspiracy to get rid of him. The reason should have been that he wanted to bring Nissan even closer to the French car maker Renault. The two groups form an alliance with Mitsubishi Motors.
Ghosn’s lawyers also accuse the Japanese investigators of secretly collaborating with Nissan and having effectively transferred their investigations to the Japanese automaker. The family of the former top manager also denounced the rigid requirements imposed on him as “inhuman”. In November Ghosn was allowed to speak to his wife for the first time in eight months – but only for an hour and via video conference.
Fallen star
The ex-manager was once celebrated as a star in Japan, and even a manga comic was dedicated to him. He forged the alliance between Renault and Nissan that had existed since 1999 and helped the Japanese manufacturer out of a deep crisis. Over the years, he made both companies successful players in the global car market, and he also invested early in electromobility. In 2016 Ghosn also got the Japanese competitor Mitsubishi on board and became the boss of all three companies.
Ghosn was fired from his top posts at Nissan and Mitsubishi shortly after his arrest in November 2018. He later resigned from his job as Renault boss.
According to the Tokyo Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japanese government is now dependent on the help of the Lebanese authorities because there is no extradition agreement with the Mediterranean state, as the broadcaster NHK reported. In addition to French and Brazilian citizenship, Ghosn is also Lebanese. (apa, dpa, reu)
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