Carlos Ghosn: Seven charged over former Nissan boss’s escape from Japan

Prosecutors in Turkey have prepared charges against seven individuals for helping former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn escape from Japanese authorities in December 2019.

While under house arrest in Tokyo for charges of under-reporting pay and misusing company funds, Ghosn escaped by hiding in an instrument box which was then shipped to Lebanon via Dubai and Turkey. He fled because he says he believed he would not have received a fair trial but the way it was done was more akin to a Hollywood movie.

The indictment charges four pilots, two flight attendants, and an airline executive that were behind the brazen escape. The pilots and airline executive have been charged with “migrant smuggling” while the other crew has been charged with failing to report a crime. The maximum prison sentence for the charge is eight years.

MNG Jet, the operator of the planes allegedly used in the escape, said its aircrafts had been used illegally and that records had been tampered with by an employee to remove Ghosn's name.

Turkish authorities have claimed they were not properly notified of Mr Ghosn entering or exiting Istanbul on his way to Lebanon.

In February, Nissan filed a civil lawsuit against Ghosn seeking an extraordinary 10 billion yen ($91.1 million) in damages. The carmaker says the financial compensation it seeks is linked to Ghosn’s alleged breach of fiduciary duty as a company director and his claimed misappropriation of the company’s resources and assets.