Ghosn Escapes!

[Russell]

Well, seems as Ghosn has at least some evidence to back up his claims of innocence. May be more gray than black and white in some areas. My guess whatever he is guilty of should result in nothing more than fines. The forever detention bullshit and keeping him from his wife is ridiculous.

And the Japanese only put another nail in their own moral coffin by issuing an arrest warrant for Ghosn's wife a day before the press conference. You can't go much lower than that.

This is just insane....my guess here is they need some reason to keep her out of Japan in case she comes back to retrieve anything.

No, they issued her an arrest warrant to intimidate Ghosn. If something were to be retrieved (which is impossible, because all stuff should've been confiscated by now), Ghosn could easily ask someone else to do that, like one of his children.

[Russell]

Japanese gov't, prosecutors, Nissan call Ghosn's accusations baseless

The Japanese government, prosecutors and Nissan Motor Co officials on Thursday largely shrugged off claims made by the automaker's former chairman Carlos Ghosn at his first press conference after fleeing Japan, saying he failed to clear his name.

"He had a chance to speak freely for a long time (at the press conference) and yet he did not give any specific explanation regarding his case," said a senior prosecutor of the approximately two-and-a-half-hour news conference held in Beirut by the 65-year-old who is charged with financial misconduct.

During preparations for his trial at the Tokyo District Court, prosecutors disclosed over 1,000 pieces of evidence to the defense team, the senior prosecutor said, while claiming Ghosn fled because he considered the evidence irrefutable.

Ghosn did present various documents he cited as counter-evidence at the press conference, saying they proved claims made by prosecutors were groundless.

"I am here to clear my name. These allegations are untrue, and I should have never been arrested in the first place," Ghosn said. "The allegations are baseless."

A prosecutor involved in the case questioned Ghosn's choice of Lebanon as his destination after fleeing Japan.

"If he is innocent and thinks countries other than Japan are fairer, why didn't he go to the United States or France?" asked the prosecutor, indicating a lack of faith in Lebanon's judicial system.

[...]

"I did not escape justice. I fled injustice and persecution, political persecution," he said, while declaring he is "ready to stand trial anywhere if I can have a fair trial."

Justice Minister Masako Mori called Ghosn's comments "abstract, unclear or baseless assertions," at a press conference Thursday morning.

She defended the Japanese justice system, including Ghosn's claim he was subject to "hostage justice," an unfair trial, heavy-handed interrogation methods, a drawn-out judicial process, forced isolation from his wife, and a wider conspiracy between Nissan and the Japanese government to oust him.

"Those assertions will not justify his flight from Japan in any way," Mori said. "If he has anything to say on his criminal case, he should make his argument in a Japanese court and present concrete evidence."

Mori said Japan's justice system "sets out appropriate procedures and is administered properly," and does not bar a person from seeing an individual unless there is a flight risk or danger of evidence being destroyed or concealed.

She also said that prosecutors indict a suspect when there is a high likelihood of conviction based on sufficient evidence.

Her comments, made available in a statement in Japanese, English and French, said that "there is no way" that the prosecutors would "take part in any kind of conspiracy of any interest groups and investigate a matter that has not reached a threshold."

There you have it. This so-called "threshold" is determined by prosecutors, which makes every case highly subjective. She unwittingly underlines Ghosn's argument.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also defended Japan's criminal justice system, saying it respects basic human rights and has appropriate procedures.

Suga, the top government spokesman, said at a press conference that Ghosn's "claims are one-sided and not convincing at all."

As opposed to the Japanese government claims that are one-sided and not convincing at all?

On the possibility of Ghosn's handover to Japan, Suga said, "It is a decision to be made by the Lebanese government so we are not in a position to comment."

Lebanese prosecutors have accepted Interpol's red notice requesting Ghosn be detained and are set to question him as early as Thursday.

But the chance of him being arrested and handed over appears slim, given Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn holds Brazilian, French and Lebanese nationality.

"We will continue to coordinate with other countries and international organizations and take all possible steps to make sure criminal proceedings in our country are carried out properly," Suga said.

Nissan's former President and CEO Hiroto Saikawa, who succeeded Ghosn, also weighed in.

"I was wondering what kind of comments he would make, but I was disappointed," said Saikawa, who himself was pushed into resigning from Nissan in September after it was discovered he was overpaid by roughly 47 million yen in an equity-linked remuneration scheme. "In the end, he just fled because he was afraid he would be found guilty in a trial."

He surely can be "disappointed". But he can also be relieved, because "he did not reach the threshold".

Never mind that his overpayment in an equity-linked remuneration scheme is basically the same crime for which Ghosn was arrested in the first place (actually it is worse, because Ghosn did not receive actual payments for his "crime"). If the Japanese justice system were to regain some credibility, they should arrest Saikawa today.

Nissan outside director Masakazu Toyoda, a former senior industry ministry official who Ghosn said was a "link between Nissan and the authorities," also batted aside Ghosn's claims.

"I have no time to keep up with a hoax by a person who left Japan in violation of the law," he said.

More

If only he had time to keep up with the hoax of a person he is himself...

[matsuki]

It's pretty hilarious how unprepared Mori is for this. She takes her time in considering a statement and comes out with a bunch of China/North Korea level "appropriate procedures and is administered properly" bullshit while hanging herself with "Ghosn should “prove his innocence" and basically spelling out that guilt is decided by prosecutors, not the courts, in Japan.

The gift that keeps on giving...

[yanpa]

'Playing Ghosn': don't get into our music cases, Yamaha warns

[matsuki]

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20 ... na/090000c

Nissan said in a corporate governance report submitted to the Tokyo Stock Exchange that its joint venture with Renault SA disbursed at least 3.9 million euros ($4.35 million) as "personal expenses of Mr. Ghosn and unrelated to the (venture's) corporate purposes."

This type of stuff keeps coming up but as far as I'm aware, it was approved by the company and if there is a dispute, it's a civil matter between Ghosn and the company. It just seems like deflection in regards to the shaky criminal charges for future compensation he hasn't even received.

The Nissan report also said its board had decided to abolish the posts of adviser and consultant, which had been given to retired directors.

"None of these officers are involved in daily operations or the exercise of business judgment or attend management meetings," Nissan said in its Improvement Measures Status Report.

Amah! cha-cha-cha! Kudari! cha-cha-cha! No moa! cha-cha-cha!

Nissan has decided to punish three people other than Ghosn and Greg Kelly, the former representative director who was arrested for allegedly conspiring with the former chairman, for their involvement in the financial misconduct, the company said without elaborating.

Nissan said the unnamed three had held department head or higher posts and are currently in positions that have a strong influence on the governance of the company.

Unnamed? Case by case...more like case by race, no?

[Grumpy Gramps]

I guess that on the international stage, Nissan has lost its face and none of this bullshit matters any more; they cannot do more damage than they have already done (see their share price ).

In Japan, though, where the public opinion is on Nissan's and the persecutors' side, this may "prove a point"; the have punished someone

[Russell]

I basically agree with you guys, but I find Ghosn's argument a bit weak that Nissan is doing bad now he is away. It kind of proves that he did not leave Nissan in a good shape if it can go down so quickly.

[matsuki]

I basically agree with you guys, but I find Ghosn's argument a bit weak that Nissan is doing bad now he is away. It kind of proves that he did not leave Nissan in a good shape if it can go down so quickly.

I didn't leave though, he was ousted while trying to further integrate the alliance.

[Mike Oxlong]

Will Trump trade Kelly for the three Takata airbag execs?

[matsuki]

Will Trump trade Kelly for the three Takata airbag execs?

Justice...with Chinese characteristics?

Didn't they plead guilty though? I mean, people actually died as a result of those airbags and the falsified data prevented action from being taken earlier. Isn't Kelly is facing some sort of charges on "theoretical" payments that never actually occurred?

[matsuki]

A statement released by Aoun's office said the president told Yoshiie that Lebanon repeatedly sent letters to Japan regarding Ghosn's case while he was under arrest without getting any official response.

The president stressed the two country's had no extradition treaty, and added that Ghosn entered Lebanon legally through its international airport using his French passport and a Lebanese identity card.

[matsuki]

The first

hearing in the trial of Nissan Motor Co. and its former executive Greg Kelly on charges related to alleged financial misconduct by the automaker's former boss Carlos Ghosn is set to be postponed to May or later, a source close to the matter said Friday.

The court decided in January to separate the trial of Ghosn and that of Nissan and Kelly after Ghosn jumped bail and fled to Lebanon in late December.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20 ... dm/010000c

The ultimate fucked gaijin...with no idea when the fucking will end... (insert sound of a thousand teeth sucks here)

Meanwhile...

Japanese prosecutors have charged only foreign defendants — Mr. Ghosn and Mr. Kelly — in the case. However, in a June 2019 interview with the Japanese magazine “Bungei Shunju,” Mr. Kelly said that Hiroto Saikawa, who was appointed Nissan’s chief executive following Mr. Ghosn’s arrest, approved the compensation plans that led to the arrests.

In June 2019 article in Forbes, Mr. Kelly said, “How come Ghosn and I were suddenly arrested without one instance of being asked to explain and no discussions or meeting on the subject?” In September 2019, Mr. Saikawa resigned as Nissan’s CEO after it was widely reported that he admitted inflating his compensation by changing the date when he could cash in company stock.

Dude admits wrongdoing and faces no legal troubles? Ghosn and Kelley are claiming innocence on charges "theoretical" misconduct in regards to compensation that was never paid.

[Grumpy Gramps]

Nissan Email Trail Casts New Light on Takedown of Carlos Ghosn

Carlos Ghosn always said he was set up.

Now there’s some evidence to support his claim. According to people familiar with what happened and previously unreported internal correspondence, the campaign by top Nissan Motor Co. executives to dethrone one of the most celebrated leaders in the automotive industry started almost a year before Ghosn’s arrest in late 2018 for alleged financial misconduct.

The effort was motivated in part by opposition to the former chairman’s push for greater integration between the Japanese carmaker and long-time alliance partner Renault SA, the new information reveals.

While Nissan has long maintained that the decision to oust Ghosn turned on allegations of under-reporting his income and other financial transgressions leveled by Tokyo prosecutors, the documents and recollections of people familiar with what transpired show that a powerful group of insiders viewed his detention and prosecution as an opportunity to revamp the global automaker’s relationship with top shareholder Renault on terms more favorable to Nissan.
A chain of email correspondence dating back to February 2018, corroborated by people who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive information, paints a picture of a methodical campaign to remove a powerful executive. The information comes to light as another former Nissan executive and the company itself face a looming trial in Tokyo, and as Japan seeks the extradition of Ghosn, 66, who fled to Lebanon in a daring escape last year.

Alarmed by Ghosn’s pledge in early 2018 to make the alliance between the companies irreversible, senior managers at the Japanese automaker discussed their concern at how the chairman of both Nissan and Renault was taking steps toward further convergence, according to people familiar with discussions at the time.
‘Neutralize’ His Initiatives

At the center of those discussions was Hari Nada, who ran Nissan’s chief executive’s office and later struck a cooperation agreement with prosecutors to testify against Ghosn. Nissan should act to “neutralize his initiatives before it’s too late,” Nada wrote in mid-2018 to Hitoshi Kawaguchi, a senior manager at Nissan responsible for government relations, according to the correspondence.

Ghosn has said he’s innocent of the four charges of financial misconduct and breach of trust. Considered an international fugitive by Japan, Ghosn declined to comment via a representative for this story.

Lavanya Wadgaonkar, a spokeswoman for Nissan, also declined to comment for this story. Nada didn’t respond to an email and voicemail seeking comment, while Kawaguchi, who left Nissan in December, declined to comment, as did the Tokyo prosecutor’s office and a representative for Renault.

[... more ...]

[matsuki]

I was looking forward to the movie.....but maybe I should be looking forward to the trilogy? Nissan is fucked. Talmbout losing face...Japanese authorities be like

[Grumpy Gramps]

How Carlos Ghosn Escaped Japan, According to the Ex-Green Beret Who Snuck Him Out

I have never heard of "Vanity Fair", so cannot vouch for how legit they are. But the story is long

[matsuki]

I hope the movie version shows what joke much of the Japanese elements are...

[Grumpy Gramps]

Looking at the news lately, Nissan is nose-diving at warp-speed. Maybe that is part of their greater plan? Make Nissan as unprofitable as possible, until Renault will get rid of it cheaply to cut their losses -> Freedom at last. Bankrupt, but freeeeeee! A very Japanese fairy tale

[Russell]

Looking at the news lately, Nissan is nose-diving at warp-speed. Maybe that is part of their greater plan? Make Nissan as unprofitable as possible, until Renault will get rid of it cheaply to cut their losses -> Freedom at last. Bankrupt, but freeeeeee! A very Japanese fairy tale

Nissan's conduct does not inspire confidence, indeed!

[matsuki]

Nissan....new adventures in whataboutism.

They finally seemed to have caved in to their stubbornness on their BEV offerings for next year. No more Japanese proprietary spec CHAdeMO charging (which is technically a slight spec downgrade considering they lose vehicle to grid capability - to gain more global (particularly EU) conformity. They also finally added liquid cooling to the battery packs...so many excuses for so many years but bottom line is their air cooling meant their batteries degraded almost twice as fast as the competition. (and if it was fucked under warranty, like many are/were, hahaha) Their Ariya looks neat but we'll see how it does once releases.

[Grumpy Gramps]

Or else Renault shuts them down and uses the factories to produce new Renault cars. If they'd make the R4 again, I'd be first in line to get one. One can always dream...

[Wage Slave]

Or else Renault shuts them down and uses the factories to produce new Renault cars. If they'd make the R4 again, I'd be first in line to get one. One can always dream...

I always wondered what those two front handles were for. Do you know?

[Grumpy Gramps]

those two front handles

What front handles? The gear shifter? Sorry, don't know, what you mean.

[Wage Slave]

The handles on the front, either side of the nose.

1280px-Terenure,_Co._Dublin_-_Ireland_(6018047588) - Copy.jpg

[Grumpy Gramps]

Ah OK, I don't know, probably just decoration. Not all of them had it and it is also not part of the hood opening mechanism. The hood is hinged at the front, a bit like on the Jaguar E (end of similarities )

[wagyl]

I can confirm, they are just bumper overriders. They were not present on my R4, built about 12 years before the model in that picture.

The E-type Jag also had four wheels (two of them driven) and one spare. The R4 had a sealed for life cooling system, so that was an advance over the Jaguar. That, and the ability to do a gear change without taking your hand off the steering wheel.

[Grumpy Gramps]

Super cars, they honestly were!

[Mike Oxlong]

There was a massive explosion in the port of Beruit overnight our time. Some fireworks stored near a deposit of sodium nitrate among others set off a tremendous blast that was felt even in Cyprus. No report if Ghosn's home was damaged (at this time).

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... dings.html

This so far seems to be the result of a tragic logistics failure. Next to the explosives and the nitrates, a grain elevator stood. Most farm kids could tell you what grain dust around an open flame does.

This is the area of the Ghosn residence in Beruit:


Now look at the map in the article outlining the areas of town sustaining damage. Seems likely his home sustained substantial damage:

[Russell]

Seems that Ghosn's house is affected:

“Nothing happens without a reason here,” said Sobhi Shattar, as he swept debris from the front of the former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn’s house in a well-to-do street. “This could be a message for everyone to back off.”

[Mike Oxlong]

Just a thousand times stronger than the Tulsa, Oklahoma blast in 1995. Nothing to see here.

[matsuki]

Just a thousand times stronger than the Tulsa, Oklahoma blast in 1995. Nothing to see here.