Carlos Ghosn leaving the prosecutor’s office, March 6, 2019, in Tokyo. – Kentaro Aoyama / AP / SIPA
Searches at Tokyo, arrests in
Turkey, request for the arrest of Interpol, press conference announced in Beirut: a week after the revelation of his incredible flight to Lebanon, here is what we know about the situation in
Carlos Ghosn.
How did Carlos Ghosn escape?
The exact circumstances of his flight from Japan where he is accused of financial embezzlement have not yet been elucidated but they are emerging over the days. He is suspected of having flown on December 29 from Kansai International Airport near Osaka (west of Japan) on a private jet, then of taking another one in Istanbul to join Beirut on December 30. December. The latest CCTV footage from Tokyo revealed that he left his Japanese home alone on December 29, where he was subpoenaed pending trial.
The Wall street journal This weekend published a photo of a box used to transport music equipment in which, according to the American daily, the deposed boss hid to leave Japan. Thursday, in a written declaration, Carlos Ghosn assured to have organized “alone” his departure, without the participation of his family and in particular of his wife.
Who are his accomplices?
Ankara, who arrested five people after seven arrests, said two foreigners assisted him in his transit early December 30 through Istanbul Atatürk Airport, used by cargo planes and for private flights. Turkish airline MNG Jet, which filed the complaint, said that two private jets had been leased in December to two customers. “These two rentals were apparently unrelated to each other. The name of Carlos Ghosn did not appear in any of the two theft documents, “the company said.
According to Wall street journal, Carlos Ghosn was accompanied on his flight between Osaka and Istanbul by a former Green Beret of the American special forces, now active in private security, Michael Taylor. The other man is George Antoine Zayek, who also works in security, the daily reported.
How did he leave Japanese territory?
The Japanese authorities have no computer data indicating that Carlos Ghosn, easily recognizable, presented himself under his real identity at the border controls of Japan before his departure, in any of the airports of the country. He is suspected of having used an illegal means of leaving the territory, either under a false identity or by escaping controls, according to the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.
His three passports (French, Lebanese, Brazilian) were kept by his Japanese lawyers, to limit the risk of flight. But, according to a source familiar with the matter, an exceptional authorization from the court enabled him to keep a second French passport on him in a case closed by a secret code, known only to his lawyers. He finally entered Lebanon “legally” with a French passport and a Lebanese identity card, according to a presidential source.
Can he be extradited?
Lebanon has received a request for the arrest of Interpol for the deposed car magnate. Carlos Ghosn could be heard next week by the Lebanese public prosecutor’s office, according to a judicial source. On the Lebanese side, the message is clear. According to General Security, nothing imposes “the adoption of procedures against Carlos Ghosn” nor exposes him “to legal proceedings”. The Ministry of Justice recalled the absence of “an extradition agreement between Lebanon and Japan”.
Lebanon, like France, does not extradite its nationals, so it is very unlikely that Carlos Ghosn will return to Japan.
Are Carlos Ghosn’s legal problems over?
In Japan, he is the subject of four charges, two for deferred income not declared to the stock market authorities by Nissan (who is also being sued on this aspect), and two others for aggravated breach of trust. Carlos Ghosn is also the target of other investigations in France on the financing of his marriage in the Palace of Versailles in 2016 and on “abuse of social property” as well as facts of “corruption”. However, his flight should not have any consequences for these investigations.
Lawyers in Lebanon have also asked the prosecution to initiate proceedings against Carlos Ghosn for a displacement in Israel in 2008, a neighboring country where Lebanese nationals are not allowed to go.
When will Carlos Ghosn speak?
Currently in Beirut, with his wife, Carlos Ghosn is preparing his response. He intends to speak “freely” to the media. A press conference scheduled to take place in the Lebanese capital on Wednesday is eagerly awaited and should make it possible to find out the future intentions of the former boss of Renault and Nissan.
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