Ousted Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn refuses to be 'held hostage', confirms he is in Lebanon; denies fleeing justice in Japan

Paris/Tokyo: Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has confirmed he is in Lebanon saying he refused to be 'held hostage' by a 'rigged' Japanese justice system, raising questions about how one of the world’s most-recognised executives exited Japan months before his trial.

Ghosn’s abrupt departure marks the latest dramatic twist in a year-old saga that has shaken the global auto industry, jeopardised the alliance of Nissan Motor Co Ltd and its top shareholder Renault SA and cast a harsh light on the fairness of Japan’s judicial system.

Neither Ghosn’s attorney nor a spokesman for the Tokyo prosecutors office had immediate comment when contacted earlier about Ghosn’s whereabouts. A Nissan spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the Lebanese embassy in Tokyo said, “We did not receive any information”.

File image of Carlos Ghosn. Reuters

It was unclear how Ghosn, who holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship, would have been able to leave Japan. Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan, according to Japan’s justice ministry, making it unlikely that he could be forced to return to Tokyo to face trial.

A person resembling Ghosn entered Beirut international airport under a different name after flying in aboard a private jet, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, citing an unidentified Lebanese security official.

Factbox: Financial wrongdoing allegations against Carlos Ghosn, ousted boss of Renault-Nissan

Ghosn under house arrest

His movement and communications have been monitored and restricted to prevent his fleeing the country and tampering with evidence, the Tokyo District court previously said.

The Financial Times on Monday said Ghosn was no longer under house arrest. Citing an associate of Ghosn, the British newspaper said the ex-executive landed at Beirut’s Rafic al-Hariri international airport late on Sunday.

The Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the matter saying Ghosn had “fled” Japan and travelled to Lebanon via Turkey, arriving on Monday. One unidentified person told the newspaper Ghosn did not believe he would get a fair trial in Japan and was “tired of being an industrial political hostage”.

Ghosn is expected to hold a news conference in Lebanon in the coming days, the Journal reported.

A person familiar with Nissan’s thinking told Reuters: “I think he gave up fighting the prosecutors in court. It’s outrageous”.

A French embassy spokesman in Tokyo declined to comment. No one was available for comment at the Brazilian embassy.

Charges against Ghosn

Ghosn was arrested at a Tokyo airport shortly after his private jet touched down on Nov. 19, 2018. He faces four charges - which he denies - including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to dealerships in the Middle East.

Nissan sacked him as chairman saying internal investigations revealed misconduct ranging from understating his salary while he was its chief executive, and transferring $5 million of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest.

Carlos Ghosn jailbreak is all-purpose face-saver; exit ends embarrassing diplomatic affair for Tokyo, France and former employers

The case cast a harsh light on Japan’s criminal justice system, which allows suspects to be detained for long periods and prohibits defence lawyers from being present during interrogations that can last eight hours a day.

He was released from prison in March on a $9 million bail, among the highest-ever paid in Japan, after the court rejected an appeal by prosecutors to keep him in jail.

Ghosn has since said he is the victim of a boardroom coup, accusing former Nissan colleagues of 'backstabbing' and describing them as selfish rivals bent on derailing a closer alliance between the Japanese automaker and its top shareholder Renault, of which Ghosn was also chairman.

His lawyers have asked the court to dismiss all charges, accusing prosecutors of colluding with government officials and Nissan executives to oust him to block any takeover of the automaker by Renault.

Brazilian-born of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, Ghosn began his career in 1978 at tyre maker Michelin. In 1996, he moved to Renault where he oversaw a turnaround at the automaker that won him the nickname “Le Cost Killer.”

After Renault sealed an alliance with Nissan in 1999, Ghosn used similar methods to revive the ailing brand, leading to business super-star status in Japan, blanket media coverage and even a manga comic book on his life.