Right out of a Hollywood movie. Carlos Ghosn has fled house arrest in Japan and gone to Lebanon, claiming that he was being held hostage by a "rigged" Japanese justice system. He was apparently smuggled out of the country in a container designed to hold musical instruments. Ghosn is of Lebanese ancestry but was born in Brazil and became a French businessman.

He was apparently under close watch by authorities as part of his strict bail conditions/house arrest but ended up in Lebanon, arriving in a private jet. Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.

 

^^^^ Thanks for the heads-up, Matty, but you didn't post any links. Here's a video with some info...though not a whole lot of details are known right now.

 

He had it easy in Japan. If they really wanted to punish him, they would have made him drive one of his own products....a Nissan Versa.

 

Initial reports, in some of the stories, are that people disguised as musicians managed to sneak him out in an instrument case. I'm not sure I buy that story, as he would probably not have not been able to breathe inside of the case very long, even with small air holes.

 

Except they had a video of DeLorean discuss the deal and taking the suitcase of coke. He got off because he claimed entrapment and a jury bought it.

 

Ghosn,Ghosn, Gone

 

There's definitely a movie to be made of this. Netflix later in the year?

 

Not surprisingly, that story about him being snuck out in an instrument-case is coming under serious question. I had some problems buying it in the first place.

Agreed on the high movie potential, but they first have to find out exactly what happened...at least as much as people are willing (or able) to talk. I suspect Ghosn will not rat on some of his rescuers, fearing retaliation for them from the Japanese government. And you can't make a decent film based on nothing but what-ifs.

 

For those not familiar, the Japanese legal system is pretty atrocious and borderline 3rd world. A suspect is essentially guilty until proven innocent. Conditions in jail are torture. I don't know fully whether Ghosn was innocent but definitely don't blame him for taking the opportunity to run.

 

Surely half the movies ever made have been based on "what-ifs"?

 

Turkey has detained seven suspects in the case, apparently four of them pilots.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/t...banon-n1109431

.............and here's the Interpol bulletin, which probably surprises no one. It's a foregone conclusion they will be watching for him like a hawk.

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/02/793111828/interpol-sends-lebanon-notice-about-fugitive-auto-exec-carlos-ghosn

 

Bumping this thread back up to add that accomplices in this case have been arrested in Massachusetts, on Japan's request, and may (?) be extradited.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-n...-idUSKBN23F30G


BUSINESS NEWS
JUNE 8, 2020 / 7:17 PM / UPDATED 20 MINUTES AGO

Men accused of helping ex-Nissan boss flee Japan challenge U.S. extradition case

Nate Raymond

2 MIN READ

BOSTON (Reuters) - Lawyers for the former Green Beret and son wanted by Japan for helping former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn flee the country on Monday argued U.S. authorities wrongly arrested them for aiding a crime that they say does not exist in Japan: bail jumping.

Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn attends a news conference at the Lebanese Press Syndicate in Beirut, Lebanon January 8, 2020. Picture taken January 8, 2020.

(click on the link above for the photo)

REUTERS/Mohamed AzakirLawyers for Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, in a motion asked a federal judge in Boston to quash the U.S. warrants issued last month for their arrests or release them on bail while their extradition case proceeds.

U.S. authorities arrested the Taylors in May at Japan’s request for allegedly smuggling Ghosn out of the country in a box while he was out on bail awaiting trial on financial charges.

Their lawyers on Monday argued that neither bail jumping nor helping someone do so are crimes in Japan.

The defense attorneys said that fact is “so far beyond dispute that the Japanese government has begun considering whether it should amend the law to make such conduct a crime.”

While Japan has issued arrest warrants for the Taylors, their lawyers said the crime stated in the Japanese warrants is an immigration offense, a non-extraditable misdemeanor.

The lawyers added that neither Taylor, including Michael, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran who founded a private security company, pose a flight risk requiring them to be held without bail.

The Justice Department and Japanese embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

U.S. authorities arrested the Taylors in Harvard, Massachusetts, on May 20 at the request of Japan, which in January issued arrest warrants for both men in connection with facilitating the Dec. 29, 2019 escape.

Ghosn fled to Lebanon, his childhood home, while he was awaiting trial on charges that he engaged in financial wrongdoing, including by understating his compensation in Nissan’s financial statements. He denies wrongdoing.

(This story corrects headline to ‘ex-Nissan boss’)