Of magnate in the world of the engine to fugitive from justice japan, Carlos Ghosn not only full pages in the international press, but it captures conversations in the cafes of Lebanon. Hailed as the man who saved Nissan, your expertise in the field of business earned him to be the protagonist of a comic book sleeve. His recent daring escape from Osaka to Beirut, where he landed last December 30, has already inspired a video game. It will be called “Ghone is gone”, and among the tests facing the character Loscar Gon, is to circumvent the stricter measures of surveillance to which it is subject 24 hours a day. Gon leader of a cartel referred to, with a certain dose of irony, as Russian, Nisson and Bishibishi (in reference to Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi).

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Thus escaped Carlos Ghosn in Japan by Carlos Ghosn excuse his family: “I Organized for my departure from Japan I only”

At 65, He has defined himself as the man that saved a company dying to make it into a signature competitive, and with profit, that the same amounted to 18,000 million euros while it was on the front of Nissan. “Since my departure they have lost more than 40 million dollars a day,” boasted Ghosn on Wednesday in Beirut, during the more than two and a half hours in which he addressed the international press, in the first public appearance since his arrest in November of 2018.

Not only the company's accumulated losses. The personal fortune of Ghosn has been reduced by 40% since falling in disgrace, from 108 to 63 million dollars, according to Bloomberg. The freedom has been out for more than 25 million euros, between the deposit of 12.5 million euros deposited with the justice nippon, the private jet in which he escaped (315.000 euros), and other 13.5 million to pay all the people who helped him in his escape.

“I did Not come here to speak about my getaway because it could put in danger the people who have helped me in Japan,” he noted laconically the steering to dodge the battery of questions about his escape. According to an expert quoted by Bloomberg, at least 25 people have taken part in this flight film. The own Ghosn had to deny having signed a contract with Netflix to recreate the implausible story.

Citing information obtained by the authorities of Turkey, the French weekly Le Point said the tandem composed by an ex military man american Michel Taylor, and the lebanese Georges Zayek, veteran of the militia of the christian party Lebanese Forces, as accomplices of tax evasion. The filtered version by the newspaper revealed that He left only his residence, and this despite being on probation and under strict monitoring measures. Boarded a train to the town of Osaka where it embarked —in a box of piano pierced with holes to allow the entry of oxygen— in a private jet that took him to Turkey. There it was transferred to a second plane to finally land at the airport of Beirut where “crossed the police check with his French passport and identity card of lebanon”, according to confirmed to THE COUNTRY, his lawyer Carlos Abu Yaoudé.

Ghosn has also not skimped on their defence, which has hired an army of half a hundred scholars. The employer insisted on his innocence and railed against a handful of executives from Nissan who is accused of weaving a plot against your person to torpedo a major merger with Renault. The fugitive criticized the justice nipponese: “I would Not have had a fair trial, although I would have expected the estimated five-year process. In addition, according to the statistics that I provided my attorneys, the 99.4% of the detainees are convicted,” claimed the former management to justify the flight.

“An injustice”

“Japan has committed an injustice and had no choice but to do what he has done”, writes in his barbershop the septuagenarian Ali Hutait. Your business is front of the house of Ghosn, whose entrance guard two guards dressed in black. “I have 50 years living in this neighborhood and, although we have seen little, is a well respected man. It made itself”, adds the barber.

His home has been in the traditional christian quarter of Monot. Between the walls of a villa is painted pink and dotted with a dozen of windows blue, they spent the whole week locked up Carole and Carlos Ghosn, along with several of their lawyers, to prepare the press conference that such expectation has raised. In this same neighborhood appeared after his arrest in 2018 several marquees with the face of the employer a poster which said “we are All Ghosn”, written in English. Born in Brazil, Ghosn also account with a passport, a lebanese and French. His family moved to Lebanon to meet him six years, and in this country he attended primary and secondary school. When you reach the age of majority, he moved to France to pursue his university studies.

The media leak has brought to light security japan and caused a rubbing diplomat. The justice of lebanon, issued a travel ban on Ghosn on Thursday, pending the prosecution of this country receive the details of the case that are being transferred from Japan. The representative of the legation, japan in Lebanon, Takeshi Okubo, has formally asked the lebanese president, Michel Aoun, “greater cooperation on the part of the authorities” to avoid “negative repercussions” on relations between the two countries.

despite the fact that Interpol issued a red alert at the request of Tokyo —which most States interpreted as an order of detention, the defense of Ghosn says quiet, the absence of an extradition law in Lebanon. “You are not at home,” replies one of the security guards stationed at the portal of your home in street Lebanon number 9. “After the maelstrom lived this week, need a day of rest with his wife”, says one of its consultants press.

From "thief" to minister

House where you are staying Ghosn in Beirut. NATALIA SANCHA

With 4.5 million inhabitants and the double in the diaspora, Lebanon is very proud of its prodigal children who have made a fortune in the world. Although accused of corruption as happened with the fellow citizen Michel Fear, who occupied the presidency of Brazil, and whose name has taken on a street of your town lebanese. Carlos Ghosn said in Beirut to be “very proud” of being lebanese, but after he explained that his decision to flee to Lebanon, and not to Brazil or France, was motivated by reasons of logistics. “To go to Brazil to do stops on the way,” he said.

“a thief like so many others have come to take refuge in this country of thieves”, trench Oday Sabra, a waiter in a café in Beirut. And is that Lebanon is living its day 87 of public protests in which the protesters are lashing out at the ruling elite who accuse them of plundering the state's resources. The financial collapse seems imminent, and has led already to the banks to impose an informal capital and limiting withdrawals in dollars. “I have investments in Lebanon and money in banks lebanese and, like the rest of the citizens, I can only withdraw 250 or 300 dollars a week,” revealed the businessman during an interview with local television Al Jadeed.

Ghosn has been shown to possess good relations with the political class of the country, which overlaps with the business, to such an extent that the leader of the Socialist Party, Progressive, the druze Walid Yumblat, proposed him to the post of minister of Energy. “If you have built an empire,” he said in reference to Nissan, “perhaps we can benefit from their experience to end with the mafia [in the sector of electric generators] that has created a deficit of massive supply,” said the politician while waiting for the formation of a new government. What Ghosn said he felt honored and willing “to help Lebanon”, but has denied wanting to get into politics.

Date Of Update: 12 January 2020, 16:00