A new chapter in Ghosn’s escape

Japan has issued arrest warrants for Michael and Peter Taylor for allegedly helping Carlos Ghosn escape.

Deputy Attorney General, Takahiro Saito, said that Japan issued arrest warrants for Michael and Peter Taylor for allegedly helping to escape a criminal, adding: “There is a judge who has issued arrest warrants against them. We are negotiating with the US authorities.”

Michael Taylor, 59, a former Green Beret (or Green Hat) force, and a private security specialist, and his son Peter Taylor, 27, were arrested in Harvard, Massachusetts. They are wanted in Japan for allegedly helping Ghosn to flee to Lebanon last December while he was awaiting trial on charges of financial misconduct.

Prosecutors say Ghosn broke the law by violating the terms of his bail, which required him to remain in Japan.

It is reported that Lebanon does not have a wanted extradition treaty with Japan, but the United States does.

Taylor's lawyers also explained in a legal document presented last Monday that "fleeing during the period of bail release" is not a crime in Japan, and therefore, helping someone to flee during bail release is also not a crime.

Saito said that if convicted in Japan, the two could face a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine of 300,000 yen ($ 2,800). The authorities say they helped Ghosn escape from Japan on a private plane.

It is noteworthy that Ghosn, who led Nissan for two decades, repeatedly pleaded not guilty. He said he escaped because he believed he would not face a fair trial in Japan.