Investing.com - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (T:7201)’s former leader Carlos Ghosn used a spare French passport to pull off a dramatic escape from Japan this week, according to Al Jazeera.
The businessman was smuggled out of Tokyo by a private security company days ago, according to the article.
Ghosn said this week that he had fled to Lebanon, which does not have an extradition treaty with Japan, to hide from what he called a “rigged” justice system. He noted that he would talk to reporters next week. Analysts have earlier said that he could be armed with “ potentially damaging details about current Nissan executives.”
“There must be many people at Nissan and Renault who think this could really be dangerous for them if Ghosn speaks,” said Koji Endo, a senior analyst at SBI Securities in Tokyo.
Ghosn was arrested in Tokyo in late 2018 and faces four charges, including hiding income and other financial improprieties. In a statement, he denied reports that his wife was involved in the escape plot.
“I alone organized my departure,” the 65-year-old said. “My family had no role whatsoever.”
Japan’s stock markets are closed since Monday for holidays. Nissan’s shares last traded at 636 yen on Dec. 30, down 0.5%.