Tokyo prosecutors did not comment on the arraignment before the trial. But it has been widely reported that Japan’s court system has a 99% conviction rate.
Ghosn escape brazen
The former chief executive of Nissan is now openly living in his childhood home of Lebanon. Although he is still wanted for prosecution, Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan.
The Ghosn escape took place while he was on bail awaiting trial on four counts of financial misconduct. Ghosn was initially arrested on financial misconduct charges in November 2018. He was accused of under-reporting his pay package from 2010 to 2015.
US authorities call the escape engineered by the Taylors “one of the most brazen and well-orchestrated escape acts in recent history.”
Ghosn claims torture and human rights abuse in Japan
Ghosn claims the charges against him are the result of a conspiracy. And that two top Nissan executives were blocking his plans for a merger with Renault the French automaker.
He insists he left Japan because he would not get a fair trial there. After arriving in Lebanon he said he was a “hostage” in Japan. And that Japanese authorities engage in “extrajudicial abuse of process.”
