Lebanese judicial authorities have questioned two folks on the request of Turkey on suspicion of being concerned within the 2019 escape of auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn from Japan to Lebanon, officers stated Friday.
The current questioning of the 2 males in Beirut got here every week earlier than a listening to in Lebanon concerning the $1 billion lawsuit that Ghosn, previously the president of Nissan, filed towards the corporate and a few dozen folks in Beirut over his imprisonment in Japan and what he says is Fmisinformation unfold towards him.
The officers stated one of many two males who have been questioned is a Lebanese pilot who was at an airport in Istanbul when the airplane carrying Ghosn from Japan landed. The pilot, officers stated, denied that he bought paid to assist in Ghosn escape to Beirut. The Related Press agreed to withold the pilot’s identify on the request of officers.
The AP has beforehand reported on the opposite man questioned, George-Antoine Zayek. He’s believed to have helped a 3rd man, former Inexperienced Beret Michael Taylor, disguise Ghosn in a big black field supposedly containing audio tools, though they knew Ghosn was not allowed to go away Japan whereas awaiting trial.
A Tokyo courtroom handed down jail phrases in 2021 for Taylor and his son Peter after they have been accused of serving to Ghosn escape to Lebanon whereas awaiting trial in Japan.
Zayek advised Lebanese judicial officers that he didn’t know Ghosn earlier than the escape including that in 2019 he met Taylor in Dubai then they flew to Japan to attend a live performance, the officers stated on situation of anonymity in step with laws. They quoted Zayek as saying that whereas in Japan, Taylor stated that they need to head to Lebanon they usually boarded a airplane the place he noticed two giant packing containers and flew to Turkey after which to Beirut.
Zayek stated after arriving in Lebanon he knew from media reviews that Ghosn was on the airplane, the officers stated.
Ghosn was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on prices of breach of belief, misusing firm belongings for private achieve and violating securities legal guidelines by not absolutely disclosing his compensation.
Ghosn is needed in Japan and France. Since he fled to Lebanon, Beirut has obtained three notices from Interpol based mostly on arrest warrants for him from these nations. In France, he’s dealing with quite a few authorized challenges, together with tax evasion and alleged cash laundering, fraud and misuse of firm belongings whereas on the helm of the Renault-Nissan alliance.
Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan and doesn’t extradite its residents.
Ghosn has French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship.