Enlarge image
Peter Taylor as a child and adult with his father Michael
Photo: HANDOUT / AFP
Two Americans accused in Japan, who are said to have helped former car boss Carlos Ghosn to make his spectacular escape from Japan, pleaded guilty before the start of the trial. The 60-year-old Michael Taylor and his 28-year-old son Peter are also said to have hatched the escape plan. After reading the indictment in Tokyo, both said they did not deny the allegations against which they were charged. If they are found guilty, they face imprisonment for up to three years.
Michael Taylor is a former US Army elite soldier who works in the private security services sector. According to the US prosecutor, he is said to have traveled to Japan several times and met Ghosn there at least seven times. According to Japanese media, his son Peter is said to have received 144 million yen (just under 1.1 million euros) from the Ghosn family for the help.
The former CEO of the Franco-Japanese car alliance Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi was arrested and charged in Tokyo in November 2018, among other things for violating stock market requirements. In April 2019, he was released from custody under strict conditions on bail. Ghosn fled in a large suitcase on board a private jet from Osaka to Istanbul and from there to Beirut at the end of December 2019. The manager has, among other things, Lebanese citizenship.
Ghosn is still in Lebanon and is not allowed to leave the country.
Lebanon does not extradite its citizens, which is why the Japanese judiciary has no access to Ghosn.
The two alleged escape helpers from the USA, wanted by Japan by arrest warrant, were arrested in the USA in May 2020 and extradited to Japan in early March.
A third alleged escape helper from Lebanon is still on the run.
The judiciary accuses Ghosn, among other things, of having transferred private losses to the automaker Nissan, which is allied with the French automaker Renault.
In addition, Ghosn is said to have misappropriated company capital.
There are also investigations against the ex-manager in France.
Among other things, it concerns the possibly illegal financing of two lavish parties at Versailles Palace.
dab / AFP / dpa