Searches in Tokyo, arrests in Turkey, request for 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 of 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 video surveillance images in Tokyo revealed that he left his Japanese residence alone on December 29, where he was assigned pending trial.
The Wall Street Journal published this weekend a photo of a box used to transport musical equipment in which, according to the American daily newspaper, the ousted boss would have hidden 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?
According to Ankara, who arrested five people after seven arrests, two foreigners assisted him in his transit early on 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 apparently had no connection between them. The name of Carlos Ghosn did not appear in the documents of either of the two flights, "according to the company.
According to the 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, according to the daily.
How did he leave Japanese territory?
The Japanese authorities have no computer data indicating that Carlos Ghosn, easily recognizable, would have presented himself under his real identity to the controls at the borders 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 channel 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 source at the presidency.
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 the General Security, nothing imposes "the adoption of procedures against Carlos Ghosn" nor does it expose him "to legal proceedings". The Ministry of Justice recalled the absence of "an extradition agreement between Lebanon and Japan".
Lebanon, like France moreover, does not extradite its nationals and it is therefore very unlikely to see Carlos Ghosn return to Japan.
Are Carlos Ghosn's legal problems over?
He was the subject of four charges, two for deferred income not declared to the stock exchange authorities by Nissan (who is also being sued in this area), and two others for aggravated breach of trust. Carlos Ghosn is also the target of other investigations in France on the funding of his marriage in the Palace of Versailles in 2016 and on "abuse of social property" as well as facts of "corruption". His escape should not have any consequences on these investigations, however.
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, in an unknown place, Carlos Ghosn is preparing his response. He intends to speak "freely" to the media. A press conference to be held Wednesday in the Lebanese capital is eagerly awaited and should allow to know the future intentions of the former boss of Renault and Nissan.
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One of Carlos Ghosn's Japanese lawyers understands his flight to Lebanon
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