The former CEO of the Renault-Nissan group has managed to leave Japan to join Lebanon while he is on trial for the misuse of corporate assets.
It’s a script worthy of a film that happened last Sunday, between Tokyo and Beirut. At the center of the story, the businessman and ex-CEO of the Renault-Nissan group, Carlos Ghosn. Arrested in November 2018 in Japan as part of a case of misuse of social goods, he had been detained in the land of the Rising Sun for several months. First imprisoned for almost 130 days, he has since been under house arrest, allowed to travel within Japan, while having to return home at regular intervals.
But this Sunday, December 29, the man managed to thwart the surveillance services to fly aboard a private jet in the direction of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. “ It’s a complete surprise, I’m stunned “, his main Japanese lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, told the media, saying that he had not been contacted by Mr. Ghosn and had learned from television that he had fled Japan.
Carlos Ghosn actually has triple French, Brazilian and Lebanese nationality. The choice of his new destination is therefore no coincidence, especially since Japan has no extradition agreement with Lebanon. “ I am now in Lebanon. I am no longer hostage to a biased Japanese justice system where the presumption of guilt prevails “, he wrote, according to this document sent by his spokesmen. “ I did not run away from justice, I freed myself from injustice and political persecution. I can finally communicate freely with the media, which I will do next week “, he adds.
The conditions for his escape are still unclear. Since the start of the case, Carlos Ghosn has claimed to be the victim of a plot by Nissan to prevent a plan for further integration with Renault.
Carlos Ghosn, who was the highest-paid business owner in Japan, is the subject of four indictments in that country: two for deferred income not declared to the stock exchange authorities by Nissan (which is also being sued on this aspect), and two others for aggravated breach of trust. Now, we do not know where and when his trial will be held, especially since the Japanese criminal system is challenged following this blunder.
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