Carlos Ghosn accuses Brazil of failing to 'pressure' Japan on jail conditions
Carlos Ghosn wants the Brazilian government needs to do more to pressure Japan to treat him 'properly' as he has been served with a travel ban from Lebanon.
3 min read
Ghosn is not allowed to travel outside of Lebanon [Getty]
Ex-auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn told Brazilian media he was disappointed by the Latin American country's failure to "pressure" authorities in Japan, where he was detained before jumping bail and fleeing to Lebanon.
The former Renault-Nissan chief, who was born in Brazil, had been awaiting trial on charges of financial misconduct, which he denies.
"I was hoping that at some point, perhaps some pressure from the Brazilian government for normal, proper treatment would be made," Ghosn said in the interview broadcast Wednesday evening.
Ghosn, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports, had hoped Bolsonaro would raise the issue with Japanese officials during his visit to Tokyo in October.
"I believe the ministry of foreign affairs told him the Japanese would be upset, so nothing was done."
Lebanon has issued a travel ban on former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn one day after the fugitive magnate met with reporters and proclaimed that Japan had treated him like a "terrorist".
The ban was put in place after Ghosn was questioned over an Interpol "red notice' warrant was issued by Japan seeking his arrest on financial misconduct charges.
"The state prosecution issued a travel ban for Ghosn, and asked for his file from the Japanese authorities," a judicial source told AFP.
The 65-year-old, who fled Japan to Lebanon via Turkey had been under house arrest in Tokyo and awaiting trial on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds.
On Wednesday, Ghosn denied all charges and accused the Japanese prosecutors of "colluding" with Nissan and called the accusations a "plot" to remove him from power.
Ghosn has said he is willing to stand trial in Lebanon, "anywhere" he can get a "fair trial".
This comes as a Lebanese prosecutor said Wednesday that he was summoning the former auto tycoon over the red notice.
Ghosn was asked to give a statement over a report submitted by Lebanese lawyers that he had travelled to neighbouring Israel as head of Renault-Nissan, the National News Agency said.
Lebanon is technically still at war with Israel.
Lebanon's judiciary last week received a "red notice" from Interpol for the arrest of Ghosn after he escaped bail in Japan and reappeared in his home country at the end of December.
The 65-year-old businessman faces several counts of financial misconduct in Japan, including under-reporting financial compensation to the tune of $85 million.
Lebanon does not have an extradition agreement with Japan.
The prosecutor was set to hear Ghosn's response to accusations of "entering the enemy country and meeting a number of Israeli leaders", NNA said Thursday.
Ghosn had travelled to Israel in 2008 to announce mass production of electric vehicles in cooperation with Renault-Nissan.
At the press conference, he defended his actions and said he had visited the country as part of his job.
The ban was put in place after Ghosn was questioned over an Interpol "red notice' warrant was issued by Japan seeking his arrest on financial misconduct charges.
"The state prosecution issued a travel ban for Ghosn, and asked for his file from the Japanese authorities," a judicial source told AFP.
The 65-year-old, who fled Japan to Lebanon via Turkey had been under house arrest in Tokyo and awaiting trial on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds.
On Wednesday, Ghosn denied all charges and accused the Japanese prosecutors of "colluding" with Nissan and called the accusations a "plot" to remove him from power.
Ghosn has said he is willing to stand trial in Lebanon, "anywhere" he can get a "fair trial".
|
|
This comes as a Lebanese prosecutor said Wednesday that he was summoning the former auto tycoon over the red notice.
Ghosn was asked to give a statement over a report submitted by Lebanese lawyers that he had travelled to neighbouring Israel as head of Renault-Nissan, the National News Agency said.
Lebanon is technically still at war with Israel.
Lebanon's judiciary last week received a "red notice" from Interpol for the arrest of Ghosn after he escaped bail in Japan and reappeared in his home country at the end of December.
The 65-year-old businessman faces several counts of financial misconduct in Japan, including under-reporting financial compensation to the tune of $85 million.
Lebanon does not have an extradition agreement with Japan.
The prosecutor was set to hear Ghosn's response to accusations of "entering the enemy country and meeting a number of Israeli leaders", NNA said Thursday.
Ghosn had travelled to Israel in 2008 to announce mass production of electric vehicles in cooperation with Renault-Nissan.
At the press conference, he defended his actions and said he had visited the country as part of his job.
Follow the Middle East's top stories in English at The New Arab on Google News
More In News
![The UAE is widely suspected of arming the RSF militia [Getty]](/sites/default/files/styles/image_156x88/public/2024-11/GettyImages-472529908.jpg?h=69f2b9d0&itok=BIiKrvjy)
![Netanyahu furiously denounced the ICC [Getty]](/sites/default/files/styles/image_156x88/public/2024-11/GettyImages-2169352575.jpg?h=199d8c1f&itok=N5n2Tqbm)
![Both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority welcomed the ICC arrest warrants [Getty]](/sites/default/files/styles/image_156x88/public/2024-11/GettyImages-2178351173.jpg?h=199d8c1f&itok=o3-WXYrr)