Carlos Ghon, Carrying One French Passport Since Last Year... Presented It Upon Entry to Lebanon

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan Motor chairman who fled from Japan to Lebanon while under bail conditions prohibiting overseas travel, was found to have been issued two French passports, one of which he was carrying. It has been reported that the passport Ghosn presented upon entering Lebanon was one of these, prompting Japanese prosecutors and police to investigate the exact circumstances.

On the 2nd, NHK reported that Ghosn was issued two French passports and had been carrying one of them in a locked case since May of last year. The French passport he presented upon entering Lebanon is presumed to be this one. Previously, Lebanese security authorities stated that a person believed to be Ghosn presented a French passport in his name when entering Lebanon on December 30th of last year (local time).

When Ghosn was released on bail in April last year, it was a condition that his lawyer keep custody of the passports from his three nationalities: Brazil, France, and Lebanon. At that time, Ghosn held two French passports. Later, in May last year, when Ghosn was required to carry a passport, his legal team requested a change to the bail conditions allowing him to carry one of the two French passports in a locked case, with the key held by the lawyers.

Junichiro Hironaka, Ghosn's lawyer, stated to reporters on the 1st, "We have custody of all of Ghosn's passports, including the French passports." Japanese prosecutors and police are investigating the circumstances of Ghosn carrying the passport and his departure, suspecting that he used illegal means to leave for Lebanon, and are pursuing charges including violations of immigration control laws.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.