Updated February 25th, 2021 at 10:25 IST
Turkey court convicts pilots, airline official for helping ex-Nissan CEO escape from Japan
Carlos Ghosn was flown from Osaka to Istanbul on a private plane and then transferred onto another plane to Beirut, where he arrived on December 30, 2019.
Advertisement
A regional court in Istanbul, on February 24, convicted an official from a private airline and two pilots for their involvement in former Nissan Motor Co. chairman Carlos Ghosn’s escape out of Japan in 2019. Both the pilots, Noyan Pasin and Bahri Kutlu Somek, maintained their innocence throughout the trial. The Turkish court, discreetly, acquitted two other pilots for “illegally smuggling a migrant” and two flight attendants for failing to report a crime.
International fugitive
Carlos Ghosn, who led Nissan Automobiles for two decades, has been accused of breach of trust for using the company’s assets for personal gains, and violating secutrities laws by not fully disclosing compensation. In November 2018, a Japanese Law enforcement agency arrested the 66-year-old businessman in Tokyo for questioning over false accounting. However, in December 2019, Ghosn made a sly and sordid escape out of Japan. He was flown from Osaka to Istanbul on a private plane and then transferred onto another plane to Beirut. Since Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan, Ghosn remains protected in Lebanon where he lives with his wife.
While the four additional convicts—pilots and flight attendants—denied having knowledge about Ghosn's presence on the plane, the airline official, Okan Kosemen, claimed he was made aware that Ghosn was on the plane to Istanbul only after it landed. He admitted helping smuggle Ghosn onto the second, Lebanon-bound plane but claimed he was threatened and feared for his family's safety.
Read:Nissan Ex-CEO Tells Japanese Court Ghosn's Pay Was Too Low
Read:High Court Denies Accused Ghosn Smugglers' Bid To Stay In US
Meanwhile, the airline company MNG Jet admitted playing a role in Ghosn's escape but denied knowledge of it. Speaking during the trial, a representative clarified that an employee had falsified flight records so Ghosn''s name didn't appear in the passengers' list. Kosemen, Pasin and Somlu are expected to appeal against their conviction.
Read: Man Wanted In Carlos Ghosn's Escape Accuses US Of 'betrayal'
Read:Trial Over Ghosn Smuggling Continues In Istanbul
Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court has cleared the way for the extradition of an American father and son wanted by Japan in the escape of former Nissan Motor Co. boss Carlos Ghosn. Michael Taylor, a US Army Special Forces veteran, and his son are accused of helping Ghosn, who led the Japanese automaker for two decades, flee the country last year with Ghosn tucked away in a box on a private jet.
(With inputs from the Associated Press)
Advertisement
Published February 25th, 2021 at 10:25 IST
Your Voice. Now Direct.
Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.