It is one of the more spectacular crime stories of the past year - and it is now apparently getting a new twist, former car manager Carlos Ghosn is said to have fled from Japan to Lebanon hidden in a box, according to Japanese media reports. Two Americans would have helped him, it said on Tuesday, citing investigators.
Among other things, this has resulted in the analysis of recordings of several security cameras. The former chief executive of the French-Japanese car alliance Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi had been charged in Japan, but was released on bail when he fled last month.
Ghosn left his Tokyo home alone on December 29 and went about 800 meters to a hotel where he met two Americans, the NHK TV station reported. The two helpers, arriving from Dubai that morning, landed on a private jet at Kansai International Airport in Osaka. They checked in at a hotel nearby and had a large box with them.
They later traveled on the Shinkansen high-speed train from Osaka to Tokyo. Afterwards, Ghosn drove them from Tokyo back to Osaka to the hotel with the Shinkansen, according to Japanese media reports.
Two hours later, the Americans had left the hotel with two large boxes. Ghosn was not to be seen. The boxes were declared as suitcases for musical instruments and were not examined at the airport. They were also not opened at customs. The private jet took off towards Turkey at around 11:10 p.m. local time.
Nissan wants to continue to act against the ex-boss
Japan authorities suspect that Ghosn was hidden in one of the two boxes. Justice Minister Masako Mori said on Monday that he had left the country using "illegal methods".
So far, Ghosn has not commented on how he managed to flee to Lebanon via Turkey. However, he wants to explain himself to the press in Beirut this Wednesday.
The Japanese Renault partner Nissan wants to continue to take legal action against Ghosn despite the escape, as the company announced on Tuesday. Appropriate legal action will be taken to "hold Ghosn responsible for the damage caused by his misconduct to Nissan".
