Former Chairman Gon Demands Trial in Third-Country Court, Not Japan

Add a Clause for 'Places Where Fair Trials Are Possible'

Carlos Ghosn, former chairman of Renault and Nissan Motor Company

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] Carlos Ghosn (65), former chairman of Renault-Nissan, who fled to Lebanon while on bail ahead of a full-scale criminal trial in Japan, has expressed his intention to be tried in a third country where a fair trial is possible.

In an exclusive interview with Asahi Shimbun on the 12th (local time), Ghosn said, "Originally, I wanted to be tried in Japan, but a fair trial was not guaranteed," adding, "If it is a court in a country where the right to legal counsel is guaranteed, I would gladly go."

Ghosn, who was once praised as the manager who revived Nissan, which had fallen into a failing company, was arrested by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's Special Investigation Division in November 2018 on charges including underreporting his compensation. After being released on bail in March last year, he was re-arrested on charges of special breach of trust but was released on bail again. Ahead of the full-scale trial scheduled for April this year, he fled to Lebanon at the end of last month.

Regarding his escape to Lebanon while on bail, Ghosn admitted it was an "illegal departure" but said he took the step knowing it would damage his reputation. He claimed there was conflict over escaping from Japan, but since the trial would take about ten years to conclude, he could not accept that given his age. He wanted a speedy trial, but no one cared.

Ghosn also cited a public opinion poll showing that 80% of Japanese people believe he is guilty, explaining his motive for escape as wanting to defend himself. He dismissed criticism by saying, "After I was arrested, only the prosecution spoke for 14 months, and I only spoke for two hours at a press conference. How can that be called one-sided?"

He pointed to the fact that over 99% of criminal trials in Japan result in guilty verdicts, saying, "I am fed up with the Japanese judicial system," and argued that the Japanese prosecution is responsible for his escape from Japan. He raised his voice in criticism of the Japanese courts, saying, "I repeatedly requested visits with my wife, but they never happened, and I expressed dissatisfaction with court interpretation services, but it was not addressed."

Regarding his recent press conference where he characterized the incident as a "coup" by Nissan executives to oust him but did not clearly explain the basis for this claim, Ghosn said, "They criticized me through the media, and I just did the same," adding that he did not want to go into detail because he had to explain the involvement of the Japanese government as well.

On the 8th, Ghosn held a press conference in Lebanon inviting more than 60 major global media outlets and criticized Japan’s judicial system for allowing prolonged detention. In response, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office and the Japanese Ministry of Justice, the investigative authorities, rejected Ghosn’s unilateral claims as unacceptable.

Ghosn also expressed willingness to appear in a court of a country where the right to legal counsel is guaranteed and reportedly showed intention to disclose documents related to his case submitted to the Japanese court via the internet for third-party verification, Asahi Shimbun reported.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.