Wednesday January 15, 2025

Ex Nissan chief flees Japan for Lebanon

Published : 31 Dec 2019, 18:53

DF-Xinhua Report

A car enters Nissan global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, Jan. 7, 2019. Nissan Motor Co.'s former Chairman Carlos Ghosn on Tuesday appeared in public for the first time since his arrest on Nov. 19 at a Tokyo court. File Photo Xinhua.

Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has fled Japan and arrived in Lebanon amid charges of financial misconduct, local TV channel LBCI reported on Tuesday.

Security forces were deployed near Ghosn's house upon his arrival on Monday evening.

Ghosn declared in a statement that he had not fled justice but he had escaped "injustice and political persecution."

He said that he could now finally communicate freely with the media and accuse the Japanese justice system of being discriminatory.

Nissan accused Ghosn of understating his salary while he was the chief executive, and transferring 5 million U.S. dollars of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest.

According to media reports, Ghosn holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship.