# Car Forums > Automotive News >  Former Nissan CEO in Deep Dookie

## ThePenIsMightier

So the Nissan CEO was arrested a month or two ago for alleged corruption etc in possibly trying thwart a potential Renault takeover.

Now I just read he's fled the country and reportedly made it to Lebanon!! Without an extradition agreement between Japan and Lebanon, he might just never go back to face his trial in Q2 of 2020.
Crazy!


Pasted:
_Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn said Tuesday from Lebanon he was not fleeing justice, but left Japan to avoid "injustice and political persecution" over financial misconduct allegations during his tenure leading the automaker.

Ghosn had been released on bail by a Tokyo court while awaiting trial, but was not allowed to travel overseas. He disclosed his location in a statement through his representatives that did not describe how he left Japan, where he had been under surveillance. He promised to talk to reporters next week.

"I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japan's legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold," the statement said.


Japanese media quoted prosecutors speaking anonymously who said they did not know how Ghosn had left.

Nissan shareholders OK ouster of ex-chair Ghosn from board
Nissan ex-chair Carlos Ghosn's release on bail approved by Japanese court
Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origin and holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports, was arrested in November 2018 and expected to face trial in April 2020.

Prosecutors fought his release, but a court granted him bail with conditions he be monitored and could not meet with his wife, Carole, who's also of Lebanese origin. Recently, the court allowed them to speak by video calls.

Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. It is unclear what steps authorities might take.

Ghosn has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Co. and alliance partner Renault SA.

He is accused of underreporting his post-retirement compensation, and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money and allegedly having it shoulder his personal investment losses.


Lawyer denies involvement in escape
During his release on bail, Ghosn had been going daily to the office of his main lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, to work on his case, except on weekends and holidays.

Hironaka told reporters Tuesday afternoon he was stunned Ghosn had jumped bail, and denied any involvement in or knowledge of the escape. He said the lawyers had all of Ghosn's three passports and he was puzzled by how he could have left the country.

The last time he spoke to Ghosn was on Christmas Day, and he has never been consulted about leaving for Lebanon, Hironaka told reporters outside his law office in Tokyo.

Nissan board says chief has resigned, successor to be named
Nissan paying $15M, Ghosn $1M to settle SEC fraud charges
He said the lawyers still need to decide on their next action, besides filing a required report to the judicial authorities. His office was closed for the New Year's holiday in Japan.

"Maybe he thought he won't get a fair trial," Hironaka said, stressing that he continues to believe Ghosn is innocent. "I can't blame him for thinking that way."

He called the circumstances of Ghosn's arrest, the seizure of evidence and the strict bail conditions unfair.


A house in Beirut that is believed to belong to Ghosn. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
In the first official Lebanese comment on Ghosn's arrival, state minister for presidential affairs Selim Jreissati told the An-Nahar newspaper that Ghosn entered Lebanon legally through the airport with his French passport and his Lebanese ID.

Jreissati told the paper that in a meeting with Japan's deputy foreign minister, he presented a file to the Japanese authorities asking for Ghosn to be handed over to be tried in Lebanon according to international anti-corruption laws, of which Lebanon is a signatory. He added that since there was no official word from Japan and it was not yet clear how Ghosn came to Lebanon, the government there will take no formal stance.

Jreissati did not immediately respond to calls from The Associated Press.

The Lebanese General Security, which is in charge of border crossings and foreigners, said Ghosn had entered the country legally and there was no reason to take any action against him.

Ghosn had posted $14 million US bail on two separate releases. He had been rearrested on additional charges after an earlier release.

Earlier, Ricardo Karam, a television host and friend of Ghosn, told The Associated Press that Ghosn arrived in Lebanon on Monday morning.

"He is home," Karam said in a message. "It's a big adventure."

Karam declined to elaborate.

Faces 15 years in prison
Nissan did not have immediate comment Tuesday. The Japanese automaker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models has also been charged as a company in relation to Ghosn's alleged financial crimes.

Japanese securities regulators recently recommended Nissan be fined 2.4 billion yen (about $24 million Cdn) over disclosure documents from 2014 to 2017. Nissan has said it accepted the penalty and had corrected its securities documents in May.

The company's sales and profits have tumbled and its brand image is tarnished. It has acknowledged lapses in its governance and has promised to improve its transparency.

Another former Nissan executive, Greg Kelly, an American, was arrested at the same time as Ghosn and is awaiting trial. He has said he is innocent.

Hiroto Saikawa, who replaced Ghosn as head of Nissan, announced his resignation in September after financial misconduct allegations surfaced against him related to dubious income. He has not been charged with any crime.

Nissan results reflect falling sales, organizational turmoil
New Nissan CEO promises to restore scandal-plagued brand
The conviction rate in Japan exceeds 99 per cent and winning an acquittal through a lengthy appeals process could take years. Rights activists in Japan and abroad say Japan's judicial system does not presume innocence enough and relies heavily on long detentions that lead to false confessions.

The charges Ghosn faces carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

The other allegations against him involve payments to a Saudi dealership, as well as funds paid to an Oman business that purportedly were diverted to entities run by Ghosn.

Ghosn has said that the compensation was never decided, that Nissan never suffered losses from the investments and that all the payments were for legitimate business services._


Article link:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nis...anon-1.5411317

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## Xtrema

Whatever move he pulled, he did it on new year eve/day. One of the best day to pull it off in Japan.

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## chongkee_

https://twitter.com/tomgara/status/1211868223764934656

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## ExtraSlow

I really like that we still have interesting news like this. Was he smuggled out of Japan in a cello case? How tight is that fit? Did he have to stay in there all the way to Lebanon. or did they get him out as soon as the plane was airborne? Did he shit in there before he was removed? I love it.

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## killramos

So he can do that, but the Huawei chick can’t? lol

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## ExtraSlow

> So he can do that, but the Huawei chick can’t? lol



Carlos, international may of mystery!

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## Sky

I like it. Surprised to not see more high profile escapes like this with all the millionaires and billionaires trying to escape the law. 

Big money and organization to smuggle him out for sure.

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## revelations

> I really like that we still have interesting news like this. Was he smuggled out of Japan in a cello case? How tight is that fit? Did he have to stay in there all the way to Lebanon. or did they get him out as soon as the plane was airborne? Did he shit in there before he was removed? I love it.



He was probably in a speaker box (on wheels) or something similar. Sounds like it was a band-setup. He was then whisked to a private jet which went to Turkey.

- - - Updated - - -




> So he can do that, but the Huawei chick can’t? lol



There is so much more to her story than we are told ....

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## Xtrema

> So he can do that, but the Huawei chick can’t? lol



Rumor that there are plans drawn up by MSS and agents standby in Vancouver to take her out to international water if things deteriorates further. But I bet Meng will fit into cello case much better than Carlos.




> I really like that we still have interesting news like this. Was he smuggled out of Japan in a cello case? How tight is that fit? Did he have to stay in there all the way to Lebanon. or did they get him out as soon as the plane was airborne? Did he shit in there before he was removed? I love it.



Does plane works like boats where if it leaves a country's air space, over international waters, it reverts back to country of registration of the plane?

So he could climb out the minute they leave Tokyo air space?

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## ExtraSlow

If China wanted her back, she'd be back. No question.

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## killramos

> If China wanted her back, she'd be back. No question.



This.

I have watched enough tv to know she won’t make it within 50km of the US Boarder.

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## Xtrema

> If China wanted her back, she'd be back. No question.



I think they rather have this all solved nicely/legally so it won't ruin Meng's international travel freedom in the future.

Carlos on the other hand, this move will really limit him to countries that doesn't have extradition treaty with Japan.

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## Buster

I doubt Brazil would extradite him to Japan either way, would they?

Just like I doubt Canada would extradite a Canadian national to another country, regardless.

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## killramos

> Just like I doubt Canada would extradite a Canadian national to another country, regardless.



Do you really think that’s true lol, Trudeau would sell out a Canadian over pretty well any other nationality every day of the week.

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## Xtrema

> Just like I doubt Canada would extradite a Canadian national to another country, regardless.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_E...nd_extradition

Over pot seeds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego..._United_States

Out of the whole list, seems like only 3-4 are born in Canada.

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## Tik-Tok

> This.
> 
> I have watched enough tv to know she won’t make it within 50km of the US Boarder.



She's been within 50 km of the US border for over a year now. [/pedanticism]

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## 370Z

So I'm guessing there won't be a new 370Z any time soon.

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## ThePenIsMightier

Did you guys see the part that the conviction rate in Japan is over 99 percent?!?!

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## Maxt

> Did you guys see the part that the conviction rate in Japan is over 99 percent?!?!



 Its justice system is pretty unforgiving to foreigners compared to citizens as well.

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## ThePenIsMightier

> Its justice system is pretty unforgiving to foreigners compared to citizens as well.



I can't say I ever had an urge to go there, but that's a deal breaker. What a ludicrous system.
If they have such a perfect policing system, would it not be studied, modeled and rolled out in many many other countries?

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## revelations

You can look at at the conviction rate, but thats extremely myopic. 

a) the sentencing and prison times are far more lenient than in US
b) In the U.S., a rough estimate is that 42% of arrests in felony cases result in prosecution - while in Japan, the figure is only 17.5%.

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## ThePenIsMightier

> You can look at at the conviction rate, but thats extremely myopic. 
> 
> a) the sentencing and prison times are far more lenient than in US
> b) In the U.S., a rough estimate is that 42% of arrests in felony cases result in prosecution - while in Japan, the figure is only 17.5%.



Hmmm. Yes I was forgetting about the charge - prosecution step.

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## Xtrema

> I can't say I ever had an urge to go there, but that's a deal breaker. What a ludicrous system.
> If they have such a perfect policing system, would it not be studied, modeled and rolled out in many many other countries?









> Its justice system is pretty unforgiving to foreigners compared to citizens as well.






IMO, all Asian countries are similar except HK.... for now.

It's not a reason not to visit them tho, especially Japan.


Also, in this incident, the Japanese may have a case here as much as it's probably a political move to get Nissan out of the alliance.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nis...rges-1.5293974

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## ThePenIsMightier

Minor update:
https://globalnews.ca/news/6412918/l...e-ghosn-japan/

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## ThePenIsMightier

Someone mentioned Ghosen in another thread and it reminded me to look for updates.
Seems like the Japanese prosecutors are looking to hang one of Ghosen's underlings.

https://www.ft.com/content/8b22ed99-...5-2bf4eac40b0a

/Minor update
/Remember this is/was a car forum

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## ThePenIsMightier

Another update from a Financial Post article.
Except:
"_After eight months laying bare one of the worlds biggest automotive alliances, a Tokyo court is homing in on a pivotal question: was Carlos Ghosn a leader that Nissan could not afford to keep, or could not afford to lose?

The man actually on trial in the Tokyo District Court is Greg Kelly, a grey-haired Tennessee lawyer who worked at Nissan for 30 years before his 2018 arrest on charges of conspiring to conceal the true scale of Ghosns pay by $87m.

But as the trial has progressed, prosecutors and defence have focused ever more forensically on Ghosn. The former Nissan chair would have been in the dock himself if he had not fled Tokyo for Lebanon in 2019_..."

Link to article:
"The contradictory versions of Carlos Ghosn on trial in a Tokyo courtroom" https://amp.ft.com/content/5c32c439-...1-742009c14365

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## Xtrema

The French is after him as well.

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-e...hosn-in-beirut

Looks like he ain't leaving Lebanon any time soon.

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## ThePenIsMightier

Ghosn made a lot of money, but how comprehensive was his benefits package?

https://www.ft.com/content/539de02a-...5-85234cfc301b

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## flipstah

Amazon doc on Ghosn is gooood

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## ThePenIsMightier

> Amazon doc on Ghosn is gooood



I'll have to watch that... Hopefully I'll remember to add it to a list here soon.
Inconsequential update:
https://www.thedrive.com/news/44031/...rives-a-nissan

I don't think a Patrol is an Armada... Is it?

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## jutes

> I'll have to watch that... Hopefully I'll remember to add it to a list here soon.
> Inconsequential update:
> https://www.thedrive.com/news/44031/...rives-a-nissan
> 
> I don't think a Patrol is an Armada... Is it?



Pretty much is.

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## taemo

enjoyed watching this too but not enough information either

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## ThePenIsMightier

> Pretty much is.



I looked it up. The ones I was thinking of were not. Previous generation Armada were apparently built in a similar Titan "platform".
New Armada are now built on Patrol platforms.

I just remember that insane one in Dubai that walked the Porsche 918 on Top Gear or Grand Tour or whatever. That didn't look anything like an Armada, to me.

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## That.Guy.S30

> I looked it up. The ones I was thinking of were not. Previous generation Armada were apparently built in a similar Titan "platform".
> New Armada are now built on Patrol platforms.
> 
> I just remember that insane one in Dubai that walked the Porsche 918 on Top Gear or Grand Tour or whatever. That didn't look anything like an Armada, to me.



I wouldn't exactly call them new armada / qx80 are almost 10 years into their lifespan already.

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## ThePenIsMightier

> I wouldn't exactly call them new armada / qx80 are almost 10 years into their lifespan already.



I think the 2nd Gen started in 2017.
I'm talking about the differences between 1st and 2nd Gen

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## That.Guy.S30

> I think the 2nd Gen started in 2017.
> I'm talking about the differences between 1st and 2nd Gen



The qx80 started 2013 which was based off the Y62 patrol. It was only years later that the armada came back after it split from the pathfinder line.

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## ThePenIsMightier

> The qx80 started 2013 which was based off the Y62 patrol. It was only years later that the armada came back after it split from the pathfinder line.



I don't have good sources. Do you have a source?
I would have bet a fair sum that a 2013 was still a QX56 and not the QX80.

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## That.Guy.S30

Yes thats right the qx56 is the older one and renamed to the qx80 when infiniti did their stupid rebadge. But they are the same car with the Y62 chassis which is the overseas Patrol.

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## ThePenIsMightier

> Yes thats right the qx56 is the older one and renamed to the qx80 when infiniti did their stupid rebadge. But they are the same car with the Y62 chassis which is the overseas Patrol.



I disagree. According to Wikipedia... "First Gen was 'TA60' from 2004-2016. Second Gen is 'Y62' from 2017 on."

Ok, it's Wikipedia... But it lines up from my recollection. A 2010 Armada doesn't look _anything_ like this current generation. It's radically different so it's not like it was a simple re-badge.
I believe that they switched something major. I liked the look of the last generation ones and these new ones look way different and way to similar to the Infiniti (which I think is ugly). I bet they're a nice rig, but I think they're funny looking.

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## That.Guy.S30

Lol I think you are reading Wikipedia wrong. The Z62 (north American designation) is the same as the Y62. Hell it even dates back to 2010, so this chassis is 12 years old already.

Maybe you are thinking of the face lift?

The second gen armada were 2017 but the patrol chassis have been used since the QX56 if that clears things up.

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## Buster

who would buy a Nissan anyway?

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## ThePenIsMightier

> Lol I think you are reading Wikipedia wrong. The Z62 (north American designation) is the same as the Y62. Hell it even dates back to 2010, so this chassis is 12 years old already.
> 
> Maybe you are thinking of the face lift?
> 
> The second gen armada were 2017 but the patrol chassis have been used since the QX56 if that clears things up.



LoL that's possible. I do hate Wikipedia.
But it does seem a bit clear:





I never mentioned a Z62 though. I don't know where that reference came from.

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## That.Guy.S30

Just search up qx80 on wiki and itll pop up. Seems like the Y62 chassis was brought over first in the form of the infiniti qx56 second gen, and then gradually adapted over to the second gen armada and now they are all the same chassis and engine.

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## ExtraSlow

This is the most 
@Buster
 has thought about Nissan in years. Or something.

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## ThePenIsMightier

> Just search up qx80 on wiki and itll pop up. Seems like the Y62 chassis was brought over first in the form of the infiniti qx56 second gen, and then gradually adapted over to the second gen armada and now they are all the same chassis and engine.



It's quicker to just say "TPiM was correct"...

Because old Armada was not Patrol while new Armada is Patrol.

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## rage2

> who would buy a Nissan anyway?



I got mine for free. You’re on your own.

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## Strider

> who would buy a Nissan anyway?



Sounds like something Mar would do.

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## Xtrema

> Sounds like something Mar would do.



Mar 2.0. Mar 1.0 is driving a P car.

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## heavyD

> who would buy a Nissan anyway?



Believe it or not there are people out there actually excited about the new (err...20 years old with new sheet metal) Z car.

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## Strider

> Mar 2.0. Mar 1.0 is driving a P car.



True, and not just any P car... an exotic P car

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