This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/31/business/carlos-ghosn-escape-japan.html

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Carlos Ghosn’s Escape Astounds a Japan Struggling for Answers Carlos Ghosn’s Escape: A Lawyer in Beirut, a French Passport and a Lot of Mystery
(about 5 hours later)
TOKYO — Cameras on his doorstep. The police and reporters watching his every move. Still, one of Japan’s most famous faces gave them the slip. TOKYO — By the time most of Japan had woken up on Tuesday, he was gone. One of the country’s most famous criminal suspects had slipped past the cameras trained on his house, past the police and border guards and the Japanese citizens who for the past year have followed his every move.
Carlos Ghosn’s audacious escape from Japan has left the country flabbergasted. Its leaders are responding to questions with official silence. Even his top Japanese lawyer said he was shocked and bewildered when he saw the news on television Tuesday morning. Carlos Ghosn, the deposed chief of the Nissan and Renault auto empire facing charges of financial wrongdoing, had fled to Lebanon, and no one in Japan — not the authorities, the media or even the auto executive’s own lawyer — could explain how it had happened.
Mr. Ghosn, the deposed chief of the Nissan and Renault auto empire, confirmed on Tuesday that he had fled Japan to avoid a trial on charges of financial wrongdoing. He has maintained his innocence ever since his arrest more than a year ago, and in a statement issued after he arrived in Lebanon, he assailed what he described as a “rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied.” “I want to ask him, ‘How could you do this to us?’” Mr. Ghosn’s lawyer in Tokyo, Junichiro Hironaka, told a crush of 40 reporters outside his office on Tuesday.
“I have escaped injustice and political persecution,” he wrote, adding that he planned to tell his story next week. It was a cinematic escape, carried out just before New Years Day, Japan’s most important holiday, when government agencies and most businesses close for as long as a week.
In the meantime, politicians in Japan wondered whether shadowy figures or even a foreign government were involved. The aggressive local media scrambled for clues. The escape appeared to have been planned in Lebanon. A lawyer for Mr. Ghosn in Beirut played a lead role putting the plan together and acted as the go-between with the Lebanese government, one person familiar with the matter said.
The confusion extended beyond Japan. An official in Beirut said Mr. Ghosn entered the country using a French passport, while at least one Lebanese outlet reported, without offering proof, that Mr. Ghosn had been spirited out inside a box meant for musical equipment. An official in Beirut said Mr. Ghosn had entered the country using a French passport, while at least one Lebanese outlet reported, without offering proof, that the former Nissan chairman had been spirited out inside a box meant for musical equipment.
It seems likely that the confusion was a feature, not a bug: Mr. Ghosn’s flight coincided with Japan’s most important holiday, New Year’s Day, when government agencies and most businesses close for as long as a week and airports are packed with travelers — the perfect time to stage an escape. He chose refuge in Lebanon, where he grew up and has been treated as a folk hero since his 2018 arrest in Japan. A Lebanese newspaper reported that Mr. Ghosn had arrived in Beirut on a private plane from Turkey. After landing there, he released a statement assailing the “rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied.”
Government officials said they were trying to establish the facts of Mr. Ghosn’s travel to Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. In the statement, he said he was ready to tell his story to the media “starting next week.” A public relations professional has been dispatched from the United States to Beirut to help organize a press conference, but the plans have divided those close to Mr. Ghosn, with some believing he should not speak publicly, the person familiar with the matter said.
On Twitter, Masahisa Sato, a member of Japan’s upper house and a former top Foreign Ministry official, asked whether Mr. Ghosn “had the support of some country” in his departure. Government officials in Japan were still trying to piece together the facts of the escape, as the aggressive local media scrambled for clues. Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan. Some politicians in Japan wondered whether shadowy figures or even a foreign government had been involved in his escape.
On Twitter, Masahisa Sato, a member of the upper house of Japan’s Parliament and a former top Foreign Ministry official, asked whether Mr. Ghosn “had the support of some country” in his departure.
“It’s a huge problem that his illegal escape from Japan was allowed so easily,” he wrote.“It’s a huge problem that his illegal escape from Japan was allowed so easily,” he wrote.
The former governor of Tokyo, Yoichi Masuzoe, accused the Lebanese embassy of helping to smuggle Mr. Ghosn out. A former governor of Tokyo, Yoichi Masuzoe, accused the Lebanese Embassy of helping to smuggle Mr. Ghosn out.
“It’s a diplomat’s work to exfiltrate Lebanon’s national hero,” he wrote, providing no evidence. Calls to the Lebanese embassy went unanswered. “It’s a diplomat’s work to exfiltrate Lebanon’s national hero,” he wrote, providing no evidence. Calls to the Lebanese Embassy went unanswered.
Apparently caught flat-footed, Japanese prosecutors rushed to ask a Tokyo court to rescind Mr. Ghosn’s bail, according to the national broadcaster NHK, possibly leaving him to forfeit the $9 million that he had paid for the privilege of living outside jail while he awaited trial. Apparently caught flat footed, Japanese prosecutors rushed to ask a Tokyo court to rescind Mr. Ghosn’s bail, according to the national broadcaster NHK, possibly leaving him to forfeit the $9 million that he had paid for the privilege of living outside jail while he awaited trial.
His lawyer, too, seemed dumbfounded by the Houdini-like disappearance. Mr. Ghosn had turned over his passports to his lawyer, as a court had ordered, while he prepared for trial living in an elegant neighborhood in central Tokyo.
Addressing around 40 reporters outside his Tokyo office, the lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, said Mr. Ghosn’s departure was “totally unexpected.” His lawyer, too, seemed dumbfounded by the Houdini-like disappearance. Addressing the reporters outside his Tokyo office, Mr. Hironaka said Mr. Ghosn’s departure was “totally unexpected.”
There had been no sign that Mr. Ghosn was preparing to flee, he said. To the contrary, Mr. Hironaka added, everything suggested he was preparing to defend himself in court. There had been no sign that Mr. Ghosn was preparing to flee, Mr. Hironaka said. To the contrary, he added, everything suggested that Mr. Ghosn had been preparing to defend himself in court.
Mr. Ghosn’s bail conditions barred him from using a phone, and he spent most of his days in his lawyer’s office, the only place he was allowed to use the internet. For months, he had been commuting from his home in an elegant neighborhood in central Tokyo to meet with his lawyers and prepare for his trial. Mr. Ghosn’s bail conditions limited his phone use, and he spent most of his days in his lawyer’s office, the only place he was allowed to use the internet. For months, he had been commuting from his home to meet with his lawyers and prepare for his trial.
All the while, a court-ordered camera monitored his doorway, recording his comings and goings. Whenever he went out, he suspected that authorities and private investigators from Nissan followed him around the city, according to people familiar with the matter. All the while, a court-ordered camera monitored his doorway, recording his comings and goings. Whenever he went out, he suspected that the authorities and private investigators from Nissan followed him around the city, according to people familiar with the matter.
Mr. Ghosn spoke with his wife, Carole, for about an hour on Dec. 24, Mr. Hironaka said. Prosecutors had asked a judge to forbid the couple from contacting each other over concerns that they might conspire to tamper with evidence or witnesses. The court had kept the couple from communicating for months, Mr. Hironaka said, and they had spoken only twice since Mr. Ghosn was rearrested in April. Mr. Ghosn spoke with his wife, Carole, for about an hour on Dec. 24, Mr. Hironaka said. Prosecutors had asked a judge to forbid the couple to contact each other over concerns that they might conspire to tamper with evidence or witnesses. The court had kept the couple from communicating for months, Mr. Hironaka said, and they had spoken only twice since Mr. Ghosn was rearrested in April.
Nevertheless, Mr. Ghosn stayed in touch with his family. His daughter Maya visited him in Tokyo, according to people familiar with his movements. And his outings with his children would occasionally be reported by the Japanese press or pop up on social media, where commentators speculated about his welfare.Nevertheless, Mr. Ghosn stayed in touch with his family. His daughter Maya visited him in Tokyo, according to people familiar with his movements. And his outings with his children would occasionally be reported by the Japanese press or pop up on social media, where commentators speculated about his welfare.
Mr. Hironaka said that the legal team spent Christmas Day in court discussing preparations for Mr. Ghosn’s trial, which was expected to take place sometime next year. Mr. Hironaka said the legal team spent Christmas Day in court discussing preparations for Mr. Ghosn’s trial, which was expected to take place sometime in 2020.
The team had planned to regroup on Jan. 7 for the first strategy session of the new year.The team had planned to regroup on Jan. 7 for the first strategy session of the new year.
All three of Mr. Ghosn’s passports were in his lawyers’ possession, Mr. Hironaka said. It was one of the conditions of his bail, which his lawyers had won only after repeated, hard-fought attempts to convince the court that their client, with all of his wealth and power, was not a flight risk.All three of Mr. Ghosn’s passports were in his lawyers’ possession, Mr. Hironaka said. It was one of the conditions of his bail, which his lawyers had won only after repeated, hard-fought attempts to convince the court that their client, with all of his wealth and power, was not a flight risk.
“He left his things here,” Mr. Hironaka told reporters. “I want to ask him, ‘How could you do this to us?’” “He left his things here,” Mr. Hironaka told reporters. “It would have been difficult for him to do this without the assistance of some large organization.”
“It would have been difficult for him to do this without the assistance of some large organization,” Mr. Hironaka said. Mr. Ghosn’s defense team had repeatedly spoken out about what it described as a “hostage justice” system, complaining that Japanese courts and prosecutors had put him at an almost impossible disadvantage as he sought to defend himself.
Mr. Ghosn’s defense team had repeatedly spoken out about what they described as a “hostage justice” system, complaining that Japanese courts and prosecutors had put their client at an almost impossible disadvantage as he sought to defend himself.
“I wanted to prove he was innocent,” Mr. Hironaka said on Tuesday. “But when I saw his statement in the press, I thought, ‘He doesn’t trust Japan’s courts.’”“I wanted to prove he was innocent,” Mr. Hironaka said on Tuesday. “But when I saw his statement in the press, I thought, ‘He doesn’t trust Japan’s courts.’”
The Japanese media rushed for clues as well, but news outlets were hampered by skeleton staffs and closed government offices ahead of the New Year’s Day holiday. NHK reported that border control officials in Japan and Lebanon had no record of Mr. Ghosn’s leaving the country, speculating that he may have used a fake passport and an assumed name. The Japanese media rushed for clues as well, but news outlets were hampered by skeleton staffs and closed government offices ahead of New Year’s Day. NHK reported that border control officials in Japan and Lebanon had no record of Mr. Ghosn’s leaving the country, speculating that he may have used a fake passport and an assumed name.
But in Lebanon, the minister for presidential affairs, Salim Jreissati, said late Tuesday that Mr. Ghosn “entered the country legally using his French passport and Lebanese ID.” But in Lebanon, the minister for presidential affairs, Salim Jreissati, said late Tuesday that Mr. Ghosn had “entered the country legally using his French passport and Lebanese ID.”
He said the Lebanese government was not notified in advance of his arrival, adding, “We were all surprised.” Mr. Jreissati said the Lebanese government had not been notified in advance of his arrival, adding, “We were all surprised.”
“The government has nothing to do with his decision to come,” he said. “We don’t know the circumstances of his arrival.”“The government has nothing to do with his decision to come,” he said. “We don’t know the circumstances of his arrival.”
In France, a deputy minister for economy and finance, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, said she learned about Mr. Ghosn’s flight from news reports. “We have to understand what happened,” she said on France Inter radio. In France, a deputy minister for economy and finance, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, said she had learned about Mr. Ghosn’s flight from news reports. “We have to understand what happened,” she said on France Inter radio.
Mr. Ghosn is not above the law, she said, and “if a foreign citizen fled the French justice system, we would be very angry.” But she noted that, as a French citizen, he could use the country’s consular services.Mr. Ghosn is not above the law, she said, and “if a foreign citizen fled the French justice system, we would be very angry.” But she noted that, as a French citizen, he could use the country’s consular services.
A group of children may have been among the last people to see him before he left Japan, according to a report in The Asahi Shimbun, which described the possible sighting on the morning of Dec. 27 in much the way one would an appearance by Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. A group of children may have been among the last people to see him before he left Japan, according to a report in The Asahi Shimbun. It described the possible sighting on Friday morning in much the way one would an appearance by Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster.
“His eyebrows stand out,” the 12-year-old girl told a reporter combing the streets near Mr. Ghosn’s home for clues about his disappearance.“His eyebrows stand out,” the 12-year-old girl told a reporter combing the streets near Mr. Ghosn’s home for clues about his disappearance.
“Everyone was saying to each other, ‘Isn’t that Ghosn?’”“Everyone was saying to each other, ‘Isn’t that Ghosn?’”
Makiko Inoue and Eimi Yamamitsu contributed reporting from Tokyo, Elian Peltier from London, and Hwaida Saad from Beirut. Ben Dooley reported from Tokyo, and Michael Corkery from New York. Reporting was contributed by Makiko Inoue and Eimi Yamamitsu from Tokyo, Elian Peltier from London, Hwaida Saad from Beirut, and Amy Chozick from New York.