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| What to Expect as Carlos Ghosn Speaks | What to Expect as Carlos Ghosn Speaks |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| For the first time since he fled Japan more than a week ago, Carlos Ghosn wants to tell his story to the public. | For the first time since he fled Japan more than a week ago, Carlos Ghosn wants to tell his story to the public. |
| Mr. Ghosn, the former head of an auto empire that spanned continents, was facing charges of financial wrongdoing and had been under house arrest in Tokyo since spring. On Wednesday, in what appears to be a choreographed event for members of the news media in Beirut, the Lebanese capital city where he has since taken refuge, Mr. Ghosn is expected to portray himself as the victim of a rigged justice system and a corporate coup by disloyal underlings. | Mr. Ghosn, the former head of an auto empire that spanned continents, was facing charges of financial wrongdoing and had been under house arrest in Tokyo since spring. On Wednesday, in what appears to be a choreographed event for members of the news media in Beirut, the Lebanese capital city where he has since taken refuge, Mr. Ghosn is expected to portray himself as the victim of a rigged justice system and a corporate coup by disloyal underlings. |
| In an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Ghosn’s wife, Carole, described the coming news conference as “the most important speech of his whole life.” | In an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Ghosn’s wife, Carole, described the coming news conference as “the most important speech of his whole life.” |
| The news conference is expected to begin at 8 a.m. Eastern time, or 3 p.m. in Beirut. Check back here for updates. | |
| Mr. Ghosn, 65, a celebrity in Japan and a hero to many in Lebanon, oversaw a turnaround at Nissan starting in the late 1990s and had the rare position of running two major companies simultaneously: Nissan and France’s Renault. | Mr. Ghosn, 65, a celebrity in Japan and a hero to many in Lebanon, oversaw a turnaround at Nissan starting in the late 1990s and had the rare position of running two major companies simultaneously: Nissan and France’s Renault. |
| Born in Brazil and raised in Lebanon, Mr. Ghosn attended some of France’s best schools, the Lycée Saint-Louis and the École Polytechnique. He started his career at the tire maker Michelin and became head of the company’s North American operations. He lived in Greenville, S.C., before joining Renault as an executive in the 1990s. | Born in Brazil and raised in Lebanon, Mr. Ghosn attended some of France’s best schools, the Lycée Saint-Louis and the École Polytechnique. He started his career at the tire maker Michelin and became head of the company’s North American operations. He lived in Greenville, S.C., before joining Renault as an executive in the 1990s. |
| But his career collapsed in late 2018, when he was arrested by the Japanese authorities and later charged with underreporting his compensation and shifting personal financial losses to Nissan. Nissan had also been indicted on charges of improperly reporting Mr. Ghosn’s income — and had said it would cooperate with prosecutors. | But his career collapsed in late 2018, when he was arrested by the Japanese authorities and later charged with underreporting his compensation and shifting personal financial losses to Nissan. Nissan had also been indicted on charges of improperly reporting Mr. Ghosn’s income — and had said it would cooperate with prosecutors. |
| Throughout the more than 13 months since he was first arrested, Mr. Ghosn has denied any wrongdoing. | Throughout the more than 13 months since he was first arrested, Mr. Ghosn has denied any wrongdoing. |
| Mr. Ghosn’s escape late last month seemed to be written by Hollywood screenwriters — and, in fact, the fallen auto executive met with a Hollywood producer before his escape. | Mr. Ghosn’s escape late last month seemed to be written by Hollywood screenwriters — and, in fact, the fallen auto executive met with a Hollywood producer before his escape. |
| Accompanied by a former United States Green Beret turned security consultant, Mr. Ghosn was flown from Osaka to Istanbul and then to Beirut, evading authorities in at least two countries and crossing borders. | Accompanied by a former United States Green Beret turned security consultant, Mr. Ghosn was flown from Osaka to Istanbul and then to Beirut, evading authorities in at least two countries and crossing borders. |
| After his arrest in Japan, Mr. Ghosn was held for more than 100 days, after which he was in and out of jail. He was released after he posted bail and agreed to strict conditions: He could not leave Tokyo, and his movements would be monitored, although he was not required to wear an ankle bracelet. | After his arrest in Japan, Mr. Ghosn was held for more than 100 days, after which he was in and out of jail. He was released after he posted bail and agreed to strict conditions: He could not leave Tokyo, and his movements would be monitored, although he was not required to wear an ankle bracelet. |
| After he was arrested again in April, prosecutors imposed another condition for his release: Mr. Ghosn was forbidden from communicating with his wife. For seven months, the two did not speak a word to each other. | After he was arrested again in April, prosecutors imposed another condition for his release: Mr. Ghosn was forbidden from communicating with his wife. For seven months, the two did not speak a word to each other. |
| No official account of how Mr. Ghosn escaped has emerged yet. But reporting by The New York Times and news media in multiple countries has revealed a basic outline of what likely took place. | No official account of how Mr. Ghosn escaped has emerged yet. But reporting by The New York Times and news media in multiple countries has revealed a basic outline of what likely took place. |
| On the afternoon of Dec. 29, he walked out of his home in Tokyo and took a bullet train to Osaka, about 340 miles southwest of the capital. Then he boarded a corporate jet at Kansai International Airport, hidden inside a box designed for concert equipment. He landed at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, switched planes and flew to Beirut. | On the afternoon of Dec. 29, he walked out of his home in Tokyo and took a bullet train to Osaka, about 340 miles southwest of the capital. Then he boarded a corporate jet at Kansai International Airport, hidden inside a box designed for concert equipment. He landed at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, switched planes and flew to Beirut. |
| The escape plan was months in the making: A team of operatives spent hundreds of thousands of dollars scoping out airports and other entry points in at least five countries before settling on Turkey as a stopover between Japan and Lebanon. | The escape plan was months in the making: A team of operatives spent hundreds of thousands of dollars scoping out airports and other entry points in at least five countries before settling on Turkey as a stopover between Japan and Lebanon. |
| Mr. Ghosn was aided in the escape by Michael Taylor, a former member of an Army Special Forces team who had ties to Lebanon and accompanied him on the plane from Japan to Turkey. | Mr. Ghosn was aided in the escape by Michael Taylor, a former member of an Army Special Forces team who had ties to Lebanon and accompanied him on the plane from Japan to Turkey. |
| As the legal case has unfolded, Mr. Ghosn and his family have denounced the Japanese justice system, arguing that the former auto executive has been a victim of “injustice and political persecution.” | |
| “I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japan’s legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold,” Mr. Ghosn said in a statement after he arrived in Beirut. | |
| As Mr. Ghosn has tried to put Japanese courts under a global spotlight for their treatment of suspects and prosecutors’ near-perfect conviction record, Japanese officials have responded by defending the country’s justice system as fair and open. | |
| Still, his complaint about how he was treated in Japan and what Mr. Ghosn believes is really behind his arrest are likely to be a big feature of the news conference on Wednesday. On Tuesday, his lawyers released a statement repeating claims that the criminal charges were an effort by Nissan to prevent him from integrating Nissan and Renault. Here is the statement: | |
| Nissan’s claim that it conducted “a robust, thorough internal investigation” is a gross perversion of the truth. Rather, the facts demonstrate that investigation was never about finding the truth; it was initiated and carried out for the specific, predetermined purpose of taking down Carlos Ghosn to prevent him from further integrating Nissan and Renault, which threatened the independence of Nissan, one of Japan’s iconic, flagship companies. | |
| The authorities entered the offices of Carlos Ghosn’s lawyers in Japan with a search warrant on Wednesday, more than a week after the fallen auto executive publicly announced that he had fled the country. | |
| But the law firm of Junichiro Hironaka, Mr. Ghosn’s top lawyer in Japan, said that lawyers kept the authorities from confiscating two computers that Mr. Ghosn had used. | |
| In a written statement, Mr. Hironaka’s office said that six officials from the Tokyo prosecutors’ office arrived with a search warrant in the morning looking for the computers. The authorities left empty-handed, Mr. Hironaka’s office said. The computers belong to the lawyers and contain private client information, it said. | |
| “This is related to personal confidentiality,” the statement said. “Therefore, there is an evident case to refuse seizure.” | |
| The firm’s depiction of events could not be confirmed through the prosecutors, who declined to comment. Television footage showed them leaving with their satchels but without cases or boxes. | |
| As a condition of his bail, Mr. Ghosn has been limited to going online only while in his lawyer’s office. Japanese officials are investigating how Mr. Ghosn fled from Japan on Dec. 29, where he faces criminal charges of financial wrongdoing while overseeing the Nissan-Renault Mitsubishi auto alliance. |