Carlos Ghosn: Escape to Lebanon was 'unjustifiable' and 'illegal' says Japan

Carlos Ghosn’s escape from Japan is “unjustifiable” and he is thought to have left the country using “illegal methods”, the Japanese justice minister said on Sunday, in the first official public comments on the case.

Mr Ghosn, the former boss of Nissan and Renault, made a daring escape from Japan where he was on bail awaiting trial for corruption charges.

He arrived in Lebanon via a private jet on New Year’s Eve after allegedly organising a concert at his house in Tokyo to dodge detectives before being smuggled out inside a musical instrument case.

“It is clear that we do not have records of the defendant Ghosn departing Japan, Masako Mori, Japan’s justice minister, said. “It is believed that he used some wrongful methods to illegally leave the country.

“It is extremely regrettable that we have come to this situation. The flight by a defendant on bail is unjustifiable.”

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Ms Mori confirmed that Japan is undertaking an investigation into how Mr Ghosn was able to leave the country and that her ministry has ordered the tightening of immigration procedures following his escape.

“Our country’s criminal justice system sets out appropriate procedures to clarify the truth of cases and is administered appropriately, while guaranteeing basic individual human rights,” she said. 

Interpol issued a “red notice” for Mr Ghosn, which urges police forces around the world to arrest him. Lebanese officials will interview Mr Ghosn this week but Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.

Mr Ghosn’s escape has been a huge embarrassment for the Japanese justice system. The government is struggling to work out how he was able to flee despite being under heavily guarded house arrest.

Mr Ghosn was accused of hiding millions of pounds of payments from Nissan. He says the charges, which carry a potential prison term of up to 15 years, are a politically motivated stitch-up by opponents of his planned merger of Nissan and Renault.

Mr Ghosn, who denies the charges, insists that he has not “fled justice” but has “escaped injustice and political persecution”.