Japan vows to improve border checks, bail after Ghosn flight

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's justice minister vowed Monday to strengthen border departure checks and review bail conditions after Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, fled the country despite the stringent surveillance imposed as a condition of his release.

Masako Mori told reporters at a news conference the ministry has already acted to prevent a recurrence but declined to give details. Speaking a week after Ghosn showed up in Lebanon, due to the New Year holidays in Japan, she defended the judicial system that he fled, insisting he would not get a fair hearing.

She was asked about reports that Ghosn had hidden in a box and that baggage checks at a regional airport might have been insufficient.

Ghosn, who was chairman of Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi at the time of his arrest, skipped bail while awaiting trial on various financial misconduct allegations and later said from Lebanon that he did it to escape injustice.

The Wall Street Journal said among those involved in the escape plan was a former Green Beret, Michael L. Taylor, who has previously rescued hostages. It said Monday, citing unnamed sources, that the team that spirited Ghosn out of the country made numerous trips to Japan to scout out possible escape routes. It settled on Osaka's airport, whose cargo X-ray scanners were not big enough to handle the man-sized concert equipment box apparently used to get him aboard a private flight.

Mori declined to say who might be held responsible for such a high-profile, illegal flight, stressing it was still under investigation.

She denounced his escape as an 'œunjustifiable" crime.

'œJapan's justice system allows investigating the facts while it ensures the individual basic human rights at the same time," Mori told reporters at the ministry. 'œIt is set with appropriate procedures and it is operated appropriately."

Referring to human rights' advocates descriptions of the legal system as 'œhostage justice," Mori said, "We are aware of the criticisms.

She acknowledged that a review of the judicial system,including consideration of using electronic tethers for monitoring suspects out of bail, was taking Ghosn's case into account.

Arrested first in November 2018, Ghosn is charged with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money for his personal gain. He insists he is innocent.

Critics say Japan's system is too slow and is inhumane. Ghosn was banned from meeting with his wife while out on bail. Preparing for his trial has taken more than a year, and a date has not been set. He was detained, twice, for a total of 130 days before he was released on bail a second time.

Mori said each nation has its own judicial system and arrests are rarer in Japan than in other countries, suggesting arrests are made only when the authorities are fairly confident they have a case.

'œSimple comparisons are misleading,'ť she said.

French authorities are also investigating Ghosn and the automakers. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Monday that he was surprised by Ghosn's escape and wants a broader investigation into 11 million euros ($12.3 million) in questionable expenses at the Netherlands-based headquarters of the alliance between Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors under Ghosn's watch.

Le Maire wouldn't say where Ghosn should be prosecuted, but said that as Renault's biggest single shareholder, the French government wants to ensure the struggling automaker prospers again.

'œWhen you are an individual subject to laws, you don't escape justice. And Carlos Ghosn is an individual like any other,'ť Le Maire said Monday on France-Inter radio. 'œHe should answer before the justice system.'ť

Ghosn's legal team say they did not know about his escape plan. Takashi Takano, one of his lawyers, said he felt sad and betrayed that Ghosn didn't try to prove his innocence in court. He also said he understood how Ghosn might have lost hope not only with the prosecutors but with the entire Japanese judicial system.

Yuichi Kaido, another lawyer, said he was troubled by public support for denying bail to all foreign suspects. He said in an online statement he feared Japan might react to international criticism of its legal system by becoming more insular and rigid in its views.

Once an auto industry superstar, while out on bail Ghosn was living in a home in an upscale part of Tokyo under strict surveillance as part of the conditions for his release. That raises questions about how he left undetected.

Many details of that escape are unclear. Security cameras at his home operated 24 hours a day, but the footage only had to be submitted to the court on a monthly basis, according to lawyers' documents detailing Ghosn's bail conditions.

The Turkish airline company MNG Jet said two of its planes were used illegally, first to fly him from Osaka, Japan, to Istanbul, and then on to Beirut, where he arrived on Jan. 30.

Lebanon has said he entered legally with a French passport. He has not been seen since, but has promised to speak to reporters on Wednesday.

Ghosn's bail has been revoked, and Interpol has issued a wanted notice. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon, but Mori left open the possibility Japan could seek Ghosn's return.

But such a return so far appears unlikely, and Japan's options are limited.

Mori stressed that any retaliatory action, such as economic sanctions, must be decided on very carefully. She would not say if Japan has contacted the U.S. or France for help.

'œIt is indeed possible to ask for extradition of criminals based on the principle of reciprocity," she said, replying to a question about Lebanon.

'œBut, upon doing that, we need to carefully study whether it is possible to guarantee this principle of reciprocity and their internal justice system.'ť

___

Follow Yuri Kageyama at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama