Interpol sends an international arrest warrant to Lebanon against Nissan’s former chairman, Carlos Ghosn

In yet another twist of events in Nissan’s ex-CEO Carlos Ghosn’s escape from Japan to Lebanon, authorities from the latter announced that they have received an arrest warrant for Ghosn from the Interpol on Thursday. In separate news, Turkey has also initiated a thorough investigation against Ghosn as he was reported to have flown to Lebanon via Istanbul.

Following Ghosn’s announcement on Tuesday that revealed him to be in Lebanon and labeled the Japanese justice system as rigged, the former chairman for Nissan and the pivotal leader for its alliance with Renault SA has now turned into an international fugitive.

Ghosn Hired A Private Security Company To Smuggle Him Out Of Japan

As per the sources, a delay in Ghosn’s trial in Japan and a complete restriction from contacting his wife were the contributing factors that pushed him for such a daring move. The sources also added that Ghosn hired a private security company that vowed to use a private jet to smuggle him to Lebanon.

Interpol’s arrest warrant for Ghosn was received by the internal security forces of Lebanon. The matter is yet to be forwarded to the Lebanese judiciary that will then announce its final verdict. According to a senior security representative of Lebanon, it is possible that the ex-CEO will have to appear for questioning in response to the warrant. However, it is against Lebanese law, he added, to extradite its people to foreign authorities.

The statement of the security representative is in line with the previous instances in which the country received such notices against its citizens. While Lebanese authorities do confiscate the passports in such cases and the fugitive may stand trial in his home country, extraditing its people has never been an option for Lebanon.

Following Ghosn’s arrival in Lebanon, there have been numerous rumors that the former Nissan chairman held a meeting with Lebanese President Michael Aoun. The rumors also reported Ghosn to have been warmly greeted by the president in Beirut. Lebanese presidency, however, has officially rebuked such claims.

Lebanese Caretaker Defense Minister Says Lebanon Had No Role In Ghosn’s Escape

Elias Bou Saab, the caretaker defense minister for Lebanon, cleared the country’s stance in an interview with MTV and stated that Lebanon didn’t play any role whatsoever in Ghosn’s escape from Japan.

As of Wednesday, Turkish police has detained a total of seven people with four of them being the pilots, in the spirit of investigating Ghosn’s escape to Lebanon via Istanbul. As per the police spokeswoman, the detainees will appear in court to give statements on Thursday. The remaining three detainees include one cargo worker and two airport ground staff.

Flight tracking data has also made it evident that Ghosn used one plane to fly from Japan to Istanbul while another one to fly from Istanbul to Lebanon.