- Title: File of Nissan's former boss Carlos Ghosn who has left Japan
- Date: 30th December 2019
- Summary: Ghosn arrived with his legal team at a Tokyo court to start pre-trial hearings. Ghosn was charged on several counts of financial misconduct and of allegedly enriching himself at Nissan's expense. He has denied all charges against him. TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF DISTRICT COURT SIGN READING (Japanese) "COURT"
- Embargoed: 13th January 2020 21:46
- Keywords: Carlos Ghosn Nissan Motor Renault file financial misconduct indicted results
- Location: TOKYO, YOKOHAMA, JAPAN / MAUBEUGE, PARIS, DIEPPE, FRANCE
- City: TOKYO, YOKOHAMA, JAPAN / MAUBEUGE, PARIS, DIEPPE, FRANCE
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA00BBC6R9S7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THREE OF THE FOUR STILL PHOTOGRAPHS AT THE END OF THE ORIGINAL EDIT HAVE BEEN REMOVED DUE TO COPYRIGHT ISSUES. THE ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR WHICH CAN BE USED IS NOW IN SHOT NUMBER 36.
THE PHOTOS WHICH CANNOT BE USED ARE PHOTOS DATED MAY 23, 2019 IN THE ORIGINAL EDIT WHICH SHOW GHOSN ARRIVING AT THE TOKYO DISTRICT COURT AND ONE OF THE TWO PHOTOS FROM APRIL 25, 2019 OF GHOSN DEPARTING THE TOKYO DETENTION CENTRE.
PLEASE MAKE NO FURTHER USE OF THESE THREE PHOTOS AND ONLY USE THOSE IN THE REVISED EDIT.
Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn confirmed he fled to Lebanon on Monday (December 30), saying he wouldn't be "held hostage" by a "rigged" justice system and raising questions about how one of the world's most-recognized executives escaped Japan months before his trial.
It was not immediately clear how Ghosn, who holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship, was able to orchestrate his departure from Japan, given that he had been under strict surveillance by authorities while out on bail and had surrendered his passports.
Japanese immigration authorities had no record of Ghosn leaving the country, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said. A person resembling Ghosn entered Beirut international airport under a different name after flying in aboard a private jet, NHK reported, citing an unidentified Lebanese security official.
His lawyers were still in possession of his three passports, one of his lawyers, Junichiro Hironaka, told reporters in comments broadcast live by NHK.
On Nov. 19, 2018, Ghosn was arrested shortly after his private jet touched down at a Tokyo airport. He faces four charges - which he denies - including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to dealerships in the Middle East.
Nissan sacked Ghosn, saying its internal investigations revealed misconduct ranging from understating his salary while he was its chief executive, and transferring $5 million of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest.
Ghosn's lawyers have asked a court to dismiss all charges against him. They accuse prosecutors of colluding with government officials and Nissan executives to oust him to block any takeover of the automaker by French alliance partner Renault, of which Ghosn was also chairman.
After his arrest, Ghosn spent a long period in detention, but more recently was allowed out, subject to stringent bail conditions, which required him to stay in Japan.
(Production: Yiming Woo, Masako Iijima, Travis Teo) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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