Americans Michael Taylor and his son Peter Taylor face trial in Tokyo on Monday on charges of helping former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn skip bail and flee to Lebanon in December 2019.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – June 20, 2021 – Entrepreneurs
How did the Taylors end up in Japan?
The Taylors were arrested in Massachusetts in May 2020 and extradited to Japan in March. They were not released on bail and are not available for comment, which is standard in Japan. They were formally charged in March with aiding the escape of criminals. Michael Taylor, a former Green Beret, told the Associated Press while in the US that Peter was not in Japan when Ghosn fled the country. Taylor Sr. helped parents rescue kidnapped children, went undercover for the FBI, and worked as a contractor for the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.
What happened with Ghosn?
Ghosn led Japan’s Nissan Motor Co. for two decades before he was arrested in Tokyo in November 2018. He was charged with falsifying securities reports into failing to report his compensation and breach of trust. He says he is innocent and that the compensation he was accused of not reporting has not been determined or paid. Ghosn says he feared he would not get a fair trial in Japan, where more than 99 percent of criminal cases result in convictions. Japanese prosecutors say he paid at least $1.3 million to organize his escape. Ghosn is on Interpol’s wanted list, but Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon.
Escape in a box
Tokyo prosecutors said Michael Taylor and another man, Georges-Antoine Zik, stashed Ghosn in a large box meant to carry audio equipment, hacked him through airport security in Osaka, central Japan, and carried him on a private plane to Turkey. Peter Taylor is accused of meeting with Ghosn to help escape. Zeke has not been arrested. A US appeals court rejected Taylor’s petition to delay their extradition.
court procedures
The Taylors would be subject to the Japanese counterpart to enter a case before a panel of three judges. They can also make statements. They said they did not break any laws because skipping bail is not technically illegal in Japan. But Ghosn was not supposed to leave the country. Deputy Attorney General Hiroshi Yamamoto said prosecutors would determine the charges, but declined to comment on the specific case. Japanese suspects are tried even if they plead guilty.
The Taylor family is being held in the Tokyo Detention Center on the outskirts of the city. Their lawyers can visit, they can get snacks and books. Ghosn spent more than 100 days in the center before being released on bail. The cells are simple with Japanese-style futon mattresses. The facility has an exercise area and clinic.
What awaits us in the future?
English subtitles will be provided and media coverage is permitted, but no filming or recording. If convicted, Taylor faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 300,000 yen ($2,900). They can also get suspended sentences and not serve time. In principle, people accused of crimes in Japan are presumed innocent until proven guilty. But the conviction rate is higher than 99 percent.
Another American
Former Nissan CEO Greg Kelly, also an American, is on trial for falsifying securities reports for under-reporting Ghosn’s salaries. He says he is innocent and was trying to find legal ways to pay Ghosn, in part to prevent him from leaving Nissan for a rival car company. Kelly’s trial began in September, and a verdict has not been expected for months. If convicted, Kelly faces up to 15 years in prison. During the interview in Lebanon in May, Ghosn told The Associated Press he was eager to clear his name. He declined to give details of his escape. Ghosn accuses other Nissan executives of plotting to force him out to prevent him from giving its French partner, Renault, more power in their alliance. Renault sent Ghosn to Japan in 1999 to rescue the automaker when it was on the verge of bankruptcy.
What does Ghosn say?
How is Nissan trending?
Nissan, which makes the Leaf electric car, the luxury Z sportscar, and Infiniti, has struggled with slumping sales during the pandemic. It expects to remain in the red this fiscal year, its third consecutive year of losses. Ghosn’s successors promised to turn things around.
Read Also: Carlos Ghosn in the Dark Side of Japan, Life in Lebanon, and His Upcoming Documentary
Source: Ukrgate
