Arrest warrant issued in Japan for Nissan boss Ghosn’s wife
TOKYO: Prosecutors in Japan yesterday obtained an arrest warrant for Mrs Carole Ghosn, wife of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn, who last month jumped bail and fled the country.
The warrant was issued as the fallout from the escape of one of Japan's most high-profile criminal suspects continues, with the authorities pledging tighter border controls and seizing the bail money that Ghosn forfeited by fleeing the country.
In a statement, prosecutors said they obtained the warrant on suspicion that Mrs Ghosn "made false statements" during a testimony last April to the Tokyo district court about meetings with an unnamed individual.
Ghosn had been facing trial in Japan on charges of financial misconduct, which he denies, before fleeing the country in late December for Lebanon, where he was reunited with his wife.
He had been freed on bail after agreeing to strict conditions, with prosecutors arguing he posed a flight risk.
The conditions included restrictions on contact with Mrs Ghosn, and that was reportedly among the reasons he decided to jump bail and flee the country in an elaborately planned escape.
Ghosn's second wife,Mrs Carole, vocally led the campaign for her husband's freedom, insisting on his innocence and slamming Japanese prosecutors for what she deemed ill-treatment after his shock Nov 19, 2018 arrest.
She was initially prevented from seeing her husband, who was held in detention for more than 100 days after his arrest, and petitioned everyone from French President Emmanuel Macron to the White House in seeking his release.
Interpol, the international police cooperation body, has issued a "red notice" for Ghosn's arrest, but Beirut and Tokyo do not have an extradition treaty.
It was not immediately clear whether a similar notice would be issued for Mrs Ghosn. - AFP
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