'Won't extradite Carlos Ghosn': France says it doesn't turn away its 'nationals'

France announced that if former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who escaped trial in Japan by fleeing to Lebanon, arrives in the country, he will not be extradited. Speaking to a French news channel, junior economy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said that France never extradites its nationals. But the French government had opined that the former executive should not have absconded from Japan’s justice system.

The minister said that no one is above the law but if Ghosn, who has French citizenship, arrives in France, the government will not discriminate against him while applying the rules. According to media reports, the former Nissan boss had a second French passport. Ghosn’s lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said that the lawyers have three passports (France, Brazil and Lebanon) belonging to the 65-year-old former executive.

Read: Japanese Media Slams Carlos Ghosn's Escape To Lebanon, Calls His Act 'cowardly'

Ghosn, who was awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges, claimed that he had to leave Japan because of “injustice and political persecution”. He was out on conditional bail in which he was not even allowed to contact his wife, but Japanese media claimed that his wife played a leading role in planning his escape. The Lebanese origin business tycoon reportedly met Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun on December 30 after he was smuggled out of the house with the help of a private security company.

Read: Former Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn's Daring Escape From Japan To Lebanon Without Passport

'Diverted corporate money for private use'

Japanese tax officials had found out that the former Nissan executive diverted corporate money for his private use. The National Tax Agency of Japan had reached the conclusion that Ghosn made donations to a Lebanese University and paid consultant’s fees to his sister using Nissan money. The tax agency had ordered Nissan to pay taxes on the 150 million yen, which was recorded as office expenses for three years since they determined that money was spent for private purposes.

Carlos Ghosn served as chairman and CEO of Renault as well as chairman of Mitsubishi Motors. He was also the chairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, a strategic partnership between the automobile manufacturers. It is said that Ghosn was working on strengthening Nissan’s relationship with Renault when he got arrested in November 2018.

Read: Nissan Ex-chairman Ghosn Met Lebanese President After Fleeing Japan: Report

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(With inputs from agencies)