Two Americans admit to helping Carlos Ghosn escape

An American and his son pleaded guilty in court in Tokyo on Monday to charges they helped former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn flee Japan in late 2019 by hiding in a box on a private plane.

Michael Taylor, a former US special forces soldier, and his son, Peter, responded in the negative when a judge asked them if they had any objection to the charges brought by the Japanese Public Prosecution Office, in their first court appearance in the case.

Both men are being held in the same prison where Ghosn was held, after the United States extradited them in March, and face up to three years in prison.

Public prosecutors accused the two men of helping Ghosn escape punishment and escape to Lebanon via Japan's Kansai Airport, and said they were paid $1.3 million in exchange.

Lawyers for the two American men have fought for months to try to prevent their extradition to Japan, saying they cannot be tried for helping someone not appear in court after being released on bail, and that they could face harsh interrogation and torture.

In Japan, suspects are subject to interrogation without the presence of lawyers, and they are not usually granted bail before trial.

The conviction rate in Japan is 99 percent.

At the time of his escape, Ghosn was awaiting trial on charges of not disclosing in Nissan's financial statements the 9.3 billion yen ($85 million) he had received over a decade and of enriching himself at the company's expense.

Ghosn, who denies wrongdoing, remains on the run in his native Lebanon, where there is no extradition treaty with Japan.

Also on trial in Tokyo, former Nissan executive Greg Kelly, is accused of helping Ghosn hide his earnings.

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