Has Former Nissan Motors CEO Carlos Ghosn "Escaped" to Lebanon?

“I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied.”

This statement came from the former CEO of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance Carlos Ghosn himself, who left Japan while facing charges of financial misconduct in the country. His trial has already been set on the second or third quarter of this year.

Despite his "escape" to Lebanon, Nissan's head honcho is quick to deny that he is trying to evade the law.

"I have not fled justice – I have escaped injustice and political persecution," said Ghosn, who expressed his need to communicate "freely" with the media "starting next week".

How Did He Escape?

Whatever Ghosn's intentions were, it's still unclear how he was able to elude the authorities despite being kept under strict surveillance.

What is clear, however, is that he used a private jet to charter himself to Istanbul. And he did all of this without the use of his passports.

There were also no traces of him on the immigration records when he left--only some witnesses that saw someone who "looked like him" walking around the Beirut international airport using a completely different name.

Whatever the case, his escape has caused serious reactions not just in Japan, but also in his native country, France. Even government officials, such as the country's Secretary of State for Economy and Finance, said he wasn't "above the law".

Isn't He? Or is He?

Still, the fact that he was able to break his bail in Japan and escape to Lebanon shows he is above the law.

Nor his plan to go to Lebanon  looks in any way contrived on the very last second.

Lebanon is one of the few countries where Ghosn still maintains a sizable amount of public acclaim--perhaps due to his roots. Ghosn's Nigerian mother came from Lebanon. When he was six years old, Ghosn move to Beirut, Lebanon with his mother and sister. This move served as a reunion of sorts for his family, since he was able to unite again with his grandmother and two sisters once again.

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