Ghosn: Listen Up, It Was All Me

Carlos Ghosn’s escape from Japan seemed an epic affair, but the man who was reportedly smuggled out of the country in a musical instrument case by mercenaries posing as a Gregorian band wants to make one thing clear.

The former Renault CEO and Nissan chairman added to the story via a statement released Thursday.

As reported by CNBC, Ghosn claims his wife had nothing to do with the hiring of the ex-special forces members or the plotting of his escape from Japanese house arrest. Earlier media reports stated that Carole Ghosn orchestrated the clandestine op.

“All such speculation is inaccurate and false,” Ghosn said of those reports. “I alone arranged for my departure. My family had no role whatsoever.”

While this statement could be seen as a way of preventing legal trouble from landing on the doorstep of family members, given the criminal nature of his escape, that’s also speculation. As it stands, Lebanon has received a warrant for Ghosn’s arrest from Interpol.

Reportedly, Ghosn made the decision to become a fugitive from justice (or injustice, as Ghosn claims) after hearing that one of two trials scheduled in Japan was pushed back to April of 2021. That, plus the lack of contact with his wife, forced the former auto executive’s hand.

Just how Ghosn managed to single-handedly orchestrate such an elaborate escape to Lebanon, via Turkey, is an question Ghosn will have to answer. Under his bail conditions, the former auto giant was barred from accessing the internet and his phone records were regularly checked. The Tokyo home in which he was interred was under constant surveillance, hence the need for the Gregorian band ruse.

In addition to the escape, which Japanese authorities would very much like him to answer for, Ghosn is charged with several alleged crimes pertaining to income reporting and breach of trust.

[Image: Nissan]