American regrets helping flight car magnate Carlos Ghosn | Financial

“I helped him escape while he was out on bail, and I deeply regret my actions,” he said. “Also because I made the legal process more difficult.”

Ghosn is the former CEO of Renault and also the former CEO of the Japanese car companies Nissan and Mitsubishi. He has lived in Beirut since his escape from Japan in late 2019, where he was detained on suspicion of fraud. Ghosn is accused of, among other things, misusing company money for private purposes.

Hidden in a chest

After his arrest in Japan in 2018, he was forced to resign from the automakers he headed. In December 2019, he managed to escape from Japan, where he was released on bail and under house arrest. He bypassed security at his home and flew a private plane to Istanbul, allegedly hiding in a box for sound equipment. From Turkey he flew to Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn has French, Brazilian and Lebanese nationality.

Michael Taylor and his son Peter Taylor are on trial for their role in the escape. They were previously extradited by the US to Japan. Pa Taylor was interrogated by his lawyer, among other things, followed by an interrogation of one of the prosecutors.

Taylor described how he learned that Ghosn wanted to escape, and that Ghosn’s niece was his wife’s sister-in-law. He would have put pressure on him to help the former director.

Series of lawsuits

The Taylors’ case in Tokyo is the latest in a series of lawsuits around the world involving Ghosn. Former Nissan CEO Greg Kelly is currently on trial in Tokyo for allegedly understating Ghosn’s compensation. Automaker Nissan is suing Ghosn for damages of 10 billion yen, or about $75 million, in a separate lawsuit in Yokohama.

French investigators, meanwhile, have questioned Ghosn in Beirut over allegations that he has siphoned funds from Renault. Last month, the former CEO was ordered to pay almost €5 million to a local unit of Nissan in a case in the Netherlands.

By pleading guilty and showing remorse, the Taylors appear to be seeking a speedy conviction and reduced sentence. They have been detained in the US for some time, but it is not known whether that will count towards their conviction in Japan. They are expected to hear their sentences in July.

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