Japan Seeks Arrests of 3 Americans Accused of Helping Ghosn Escape

The planning behind Mr. Ghosn’s flight from Japan began last summer, according to someone familiar with the details of the escape. For months, the person said, Michael Taylor worked with a team of more than a dozen operatives from around the world to scope out airports and seaports in Japan, looking for security flaws that would allow Mr. Ghosn to slip out of the country by plane or boat. The team considered a number of options, including putting Mr. Ghosn on a ship to Thailand. The total cost of the preparation was more than $1 million, the person said.

The warrants were announced a day after prosecutors raided the Tokyo office of Mr. Ghosn’s former lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, looking for evidence related to the escape. Speaking to reporters afterward, Mr. Hironaka said that they had tried to confiscate materials Mr. Ghosn had used to prepare his defense, forcing open a door in the office and breaking open drawers and cabinets that they believed might contain relevant documents.

During the raid, prosecutors tried to seize a personal computer used by Mr. Ghosn in Mr. Hironaka’s office. Mr. Hironaka has refused to turn over the computer, citing his responsibilities as Mr. Ghosn’s former lawyer.

Mr. Saito said that Mr. Ghosn had met the younger Mr. Taylor four times in the lawyer’s office.

Since Mr. Ghosn’s flight, prosecutors have worked hard to turn up the pressure on him. Interpol issued a so-called red notice for Mr. Ghosn at Japan’s request, asking that cooperating countries arrest him. Prosecutors have also issued an arrest warrant for his wife, Carole Ghosn, accusing her of providing false testimony about her husband’s case.

For the time being, the couple, who both hold Lebanese passports, are living in Beirut. Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan and a policy of not handing over its citizens to foreign governments.

In Japan, Mr. Ghosn faced charges of hiding his compensation from regulators and using Nissan’s resources for his own financial benefit. But he has strongly denied the allegations, arguing that they were part of a corporate coup intended to thwart his efforts to strengthen Nissan’s alliance with its French partner Renault.

While on bail in Japan, Mr. Ghosn largely stayed out of the spotlight. But since his escape, he has repeatedly lashed out against Japan’s justice system, where he said he had no chance of receiving a fair trial.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/business/carlos-ghosn-arrest-warrants.html?emc=rss&partner=rss