Japanese prosecutors accuse Americans of helping to smuggle Carlos Ghosn

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) – Japanese prosecutors charged two Americans with helping to smuggle former CEO of Japan’s Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, from Japan to Lebanon in December 2019.

The prosecution said in a statement that the two suspects smuggled Ghosn out of Japan inside a large box used to transport musical equipment, which was placed on a private plane despite knowing that he was prohibited from leaving the country.

Ghosn was arrested in November 2018 and was awaiting trial in Japan, where he was placed under house arrest on charges related to financial misconduct, including allegations that he disclosed an amount less than his salary for years and transferred $ 5 million from Nissan to a car dealership under His control.

The businessman of Lebanese origins became a persecutor after his secret escape from Japan back to Lebanon on December 30, 2019, and passed through Turkey during his escape flight and changed his plane at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, and as a result of investigations, the Turkish authorities arrested a number of participants in his smuggling operation.

Ghosn told CNN broadcaster Richard Quest in a previous interview that he felt “bad” that those who helped him escape were harmed, but he indicated that everyone knew the risks of the operation, he said.