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Turkey Questions Pilots About Carlos Ghosn’s Escape From Japan France Won’t Extradite Carlos Ghosn if He Goes There, Official Says
(32 minutes later)
Authorities in Turkey on Thursday were questioning seven people, including four pilots, about the role they may have played helping Carlos Ghosn make his escape from Tokyo to Beirut, offering new clues to his mysterious cross-country flight. If the fugitive former automotive executive Carlos Ghosn were to go to France, the authorities there would not extradite him to Japan, a government minister said on Thursday, four days after Mr. Ghosn fled Japan to avoid trial on financial misconduct charges.
Elsewhere, prosecutors raided Mr. Ghosn’s home in Tokyo, a Lebanese government minister said the public prosecutor had received a “red notice” from Interpol, and a French official said authorities there wouldn’t extradite Mr. Ghosn if he were to travel to the country. Mr. Ghosn, the former chief executive of Nissan and Renault, made a stunning getaway on Sunday, though his movements were supposed to be strictly limited while he was free on bail in Japan. He turned up in Lebanon, saying he had escaped the “rigged Japanese justice system.”
Four days after Mr. Ghosn triumphantly announced his arrival in Beirut, law enforcement officials and authorities were left grappling with the legal implications of the former automotive executive’s stunning escape, whose details remain shrouded in mystery. The Lebanese justice minister, Albert Serhan, said on Thursday that the public prosecutor had received a “red notice” from Interpol related to Mr. Ghosn’s case, according to the state-run National News Agency. The red notice is not an arrest warrant, and it is up to each individual country to decide how to respond.
Mr. Ghosn, the former chief executive of Nissan and Renault, left Japan on Sunday to avoid trial on financial misconduct charges there, though his movements were supposed to be strictly limited while he was free on bail. He turned up in Lebanon, saying he had escaped the “rigged Japanese justice system.”
The Lebanese justice minister, Albert Serhan, said on Thursday that the public prosecutor had received a “red notice” from Interpol related to Mr. Ghosn’s case, according to the state-run National News Agency. The red notice is akin to a “wanted” poster, and not an arrest warrant, is issued for individuals wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. It is up to each individual country to decide how to respond.
Mr. Ghosn, who has not appeared in public since he announced he was in Lebanon, issued a statement Thursday that seemed aimed to protect his family from any legal jeopardy.
“There has been speculation in the media that my wife Carole, and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan,” the statement said. “All such speculation is inaccurate and false. I alone arranged for my departure. My family had no role whatsoever.”
Hours earlier, a French government minister said authorities there would not extradite Mr. Ghosn if he arrived there, “because France never extradites its nationals.”
“That’s a rule of the game,” junior economy minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher told the news channel BFM.
In Turkey, the authorities detained seven people suspected of helping Mr. Ghosn escape, according to news outlets there. He reportedly left Japan late Sunday aboard a business jet from Osaka to Istanbul Ataturk Airport, where he quickly switched to another plane and flew to Beirut.In Turkey, the authorities detained seven people suspected of helping Mr. Ghosn escape, according to news outlets there. He reportedly left Japan late Sunday aboard a business jet from Osaka to Istanbul Ataturk Airport, where he quickly switched to another plane and flew to Beirut.
Much about his cinematic flight remains unknown, including how he was able to escape surveillance in Japan, how he arranged his flights to Lebanon, and whether he was helped by any other countries. The French foreign ministry declined to comment on allegations that Mr. Ghosn had used a French passport to leave Japan. Much about his cinematic flight remains shrouded in mystery, including how he was able to escape surveillance in Japan, how he arranged his flights to Lebanon, and whether he was helped by any other countries.
Mr. Ghosn, who has been charged in Japan with an array of financial crimes, was born in Brazil to a Lebanese family, grew up mostly in Lebanon and has lived most of his adult life in France. He has passports from all three countries, though his lawyers in Japan have said that they held the documents.Mr. Ghosn, who has been charged in Japan with an array of financial crimes, was born in Brazil to a Lebanese family, grew up mostly in Lebanon and has lived most of his adult life in France. He has passports from all three countries, though his lawyers in Japan have said that they held the documents.
“If Mr. Ghosn arrived in France, we would not extradite Mr. Ghosn because France never extradites its nationals,” Agnès Pannier-Runacher, a junior economy minister, told the news channel BFM. “That’s a rule of the game.”
Turkish news organizations, including the state-run Anadolu news agency, reported that the planes that delivered Mr. Ghosn to Istanbul and Beirut were operated by MNG Jet, a Turkish company that offers chartered flights on business aircraft. Flight tracking websites confirm MNG flights matching Mr. Ghosn’s reported path.Turkish news organizations, including the state-run Anadolu news agency, reported that the planes that delivered Mr. Ghosn to Istanbul and Beirut were operated by MNG Jet, a Turkish company that offers chartered flights on business aircraft. Flight tracking websites confirm MNG flights matching Mr. Ghosn’s reported path.
Four of the seven people arrested in Turkey were pilots employed by a private aviation company, two were employees of a company that provides ground services to aircraft, and one was a manager of a private cargo company, according to the Turkish reports.Four of the seven people arrested in Turkey were pilots employed by a private aviation company, two were employees of a company that provides ground services to aircraft, and one was a manager of a private cargo company, according to the Turkish reports.
An official at Havas, a ground services company that operates at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, confirmed that two of its employees were in custody for questioning in the case but said that they were expected to be released later in the day. A person who answered the phone at MNG said no one was available to comment.An official at Havas, a ground services company that operates at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, confirmed that two of its employees were in custody for questioning in the case but said that they were expected to be released later in the day. A person who answered the phone at MNG said no one was available to comment.
It was not clear whether anyone in Turkey knowingly aided Mr. Ghosn, or if he used some kind of subterfuge to avoid detection, like traveling under an alias.It was not clear whether anyone in Turkey knowingly aided Mr. Ghosn, or if he used some kind of subterfuge to avoid detection, like traveling under an alias.
The Bombardier Global Express jet that reportedly carried him to Istanbul is owned by a Turkish company, STE Havacilik, which denied any involvement in his escape. An executive of the company said that when it is not using the plane, it rents the jet to MNG, which uses it for chartered flights. Such arrangements are common with business jets.The Bombardier Global Express jet that reportedly carried him to Istanbul is owned by a Turkish company, STE Havacilik, which denied any involvement in his escape. An executive of the company said that when it is not using the plane, it rents the jet to MNG, which uses it for chartered flights. Such arrangements are common with business jets.
Japanese prosecutors on Thursday raided Mr. Ghosn’s sprawling, two-story house in an exclusive neighborhood of central Tokyo. After about four hours, around a dozen men — most of them wearing black suits and surgical masks — carried out heavy black briefcases, ignoring questions journalists who followed them. Japanese prosecutors on Thursday raided Mr. Ghosn’s sprawling, two-story house in an exclusive neighborhood of central Tokyo. After about four hours, around a dozen men — most of them wearing black suits and surgical masks — carried out heavy black briefcases, ignoring questions from journalists who followed them.
While officials in Japan have expressed their outrage over his escape, Mr. Ghosn has said he would speak to the news media “starting next week.”While officials in Japan have expressed their outrage over his escape, Mr. Ghosn has said he would speak to the news media “starting next week.”
In Lebanon, which doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Japan, Mr. Ghosn is seen as a folk hero, a favorite son who studied in France’s most prestigious schools before embracing a successful career in the automobile industry.In Lebanon, which doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Japan, Mr. Ghosn is seen as a folk hero, a favorite son who studied in France’s most prestigious schools before embracing a successful career in the automobile industry.
But Mr. Ghosn may also be in trouble in Lebanon for having visited Israel, an enemy state. Under Lebanese law, it is illegal for citizens to visit Israel, and even foreigners who have been there are supposed to be banned. Mr. Ghosn remains widely respected in France despite the accusations that he underreported his compensation and shifted personal financial losses to Nissan. French officials would not comment on how Mr. Ghosn was able to flee Japan or whether he had a second French passport.
On Thursday, three lawyers informed Lebanon’s public prosecutor that Mr. Ghosn had committed a crime by visiting Israel.
One of the lawyers, Jad Tomeh, said the three were “shocked” that Lebanese parties who back the “resistance,” or the struggle against Israel, had been silent about “this type of security breach.”
It was not immediately clear if the authorities would respond. A Lebanese-French-American filmmaker was briefly detained when he arrived in Lebanon in 2017, although he was not charged with a crime. But in November, Lebanon jailed an American-Lebanese man who had joined an Israeli-backed militia in Lebanon during the country’s civil war and was accused of running a prison notorious for torture.
Mr. Ghosn remains widely respected in France despite the accusations that he underreported his compensation, shifted personal financial losses to Nissan, and used funds from Renault to organize parties at the Palace of Versailles. French officials would not comment on how Mr. Ghosn was able to flee Japan or whether he had a second French passport.
On extradition, Ms. Pannier-Runacher said, the same rules apply to Mr. Ghosn as to any French person. Nobody is above the law, she added, but “French citizenship protects, and is protective of its citizens.”On extradition, Ms. Pannier-Runacher said, the same rules apply to Mr. Ghosn as to any French person. Nobody is above the law, she added, but “French citizenship protects, and is protective of its citizens.”
A flight to France would be risky: Mr. Ghosn would have to pass through the airspace of several countries that could arrest him.A flight to France would be risky: Mr. Ghosn would have to pass through the airspace of several countries that could arrest him.
Asked if Mr. Ghosn had fled to save his life, Ms. Pannier-Runacher said that although his living conditions in Japan were unpleasant, his life had not been threatened. Even so, she seemed amazed by the unfolding drama.Asked if Mr. Ghosn had fled to save his life, Ms. Pannier-Runacher said that although his living conditions in Japan were unpleasant, his life had not been threatened. Even so, she seemed amazed by the unfolding drama.
“I’m hesitating between novel-like and … I don’t have the words to describe this escape,” she said.“I’m hesitating between novel-like and … I don’t have the words to describe this escape,” she said.
Ben Dooley and Ben Hubbard contributed reporting.Ben Dooley and Ben Hubbard contributed reporting.