New Arrest Warrants Issued for Carlos Ghosn and Accomplices
Tokyo prosecutors have issued warrants for the arrest of Carlos Ghosn and three Americans they claim helped him escape the country in December. His surprise arrival in Lebanon initially befuddled Japanese authorities, prompting the country to file a red notice with Interpol before releasing the latest warrant.
While a new development in the Ghosn saga, it doesn’t change much. The former executive still faces charges of financial misconduct stemming from his tenure with Nissan, but he now finds himself charged with violating Japan’s Immigration Control Law.
Japan’s take is that Ghosn fled the country to avoid justice (a backwards version of his own view). The former automotive executive and his wife, who is also wanted in Japan, have both stated publicly that they believe the country’s legal system would never allow Ghosn a fair trial, claiming officials worked with Nissan to help enact the industrial-grade coup that removed him.
According to Automotive News, Japanese prosecutors have fingered three individuals they believe assisted Carlos in his escape. They’ve been identified as Michael Taylor (59), Peter Maxwell Taylor (26), and George Zeyek (60). Various media reports claim Taylor is a former U.S. Green Beret special forces soldier and Zayek is a former Christian militia fighter from Lebanon.
The details of that escape are like something out of a heist movie. Based on surveillance footage, it’s assumed the three men met Ghosn at the Tokyo hotel where he was being held under house arrest to help smuggle him out. That process started with getting him onto a train to the airport, where a plane was waiting. However, to complete the ruse, Carlos had to hide in a large case normally intended for transporting speakers.
From Automotive News:
In Osaka, the conspirators packed Ghosn into a case and put him on a private plane that departed around 11:00 pm, according to the prosecutors’ account. The Americans boarded with him, they alleged, thereby also skipping immigration control and violating the law.
Japanese authorities have told local media they have surveillance camera footage of Ghosn and his handlers entering a hotel near the airport. Later, the men emerge with the box, but no Ghosn.
On Wednesday, NHK World reported that Japanese prosecutors searched the office of lawyer Junichiro Hironaka. As part of Ghosn’s legal defense team, Hironaka is alleged to have allowed his client access to his computer on multiple occasions while on bail. The device was thought to hold evidence related to the escape.
Ghosn’s lawyers initially refused to hand over the PC, citing a legal right to protect the client’s confidentiality. However, they’ve since washed their hands of the affair. They issued a statement on January 16th saying there’s no chance their client will ever want to return to Japan on his own accord, and quickly abandoned the case. Considering their client left $13.8 million in bail money on the table by fleeing the country, they probably have a point.
Likewise, Lebanon has no extradition treaty and is unlikely to turn on Ghosn. Lebanese judicial authorities have already stated they have no intention of surrendering him to Japan. While there is a chance he could be tried locally, that’s unlikely to come with the same penalties as a Japanese trail — and unlikely to happen unless Lebanon feels there’s clear evidence pointing to criminal behavior beyond his simply violating immigration laws.
[Image: Plamen Galabov/Shutterstock]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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There he is wearing his Pi$$ on Nissan shirt! ;-)
"charged with violating Japan’s Immigration Control Law." Evvery year million of Mexican migrants violate American Immigration Control Law and no one cares about it. Why Japan suddenly cares? And what heck is with not allowing Ghosn to have access to his personal computer when he was not even indicted yet.