A Turkish court sentenced an official from a private airline and two pilots to four years and two months in prison each for their involvement in former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape from Japan in 2019.
Delivering its verdict on Wednesday, the court in Istanbul acquitted two other pilots of the charge of “illegally smuggling a migrant”. A flight attendant was acquitted of the charge of failing to report a crime, while the case against a second flight attendant was dismissed.
Mr Ghosn, who was arrested in Tokyo on allegations of financial misconduct in 2018, skipped bail while awaiting trial. He was flown from Osaka to Istanbul on a private plane and then transferred to another plane to Beirut, where he arrived on December 30, 2019. He is believed to have hidden in a large box.
The convicted pilots, Noyan Pasin and Bahri Kutlu Somek, who flew Mr Ghosn from Osaka to Istanbul, maintained their innocence throughout the trial. They, the other two pilots and the flight attendants, all denied involvement in plans to help Mr Ghosn flee and insisted they did not know that he was aboard their flights.
The airline official, Okan Kosemen, said he was made aware that Mr Ghosn was on the plane to Istanbul only after it landed. He admitted helping to smuggle Mr Ghosn on to the second, Lebanon-bound plane, but claimed that he was threatened and feared for his family’s safety, according to testimony reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Turkish airline company MNG Jet admitted that two of its planes were used illegally in Mr Ghosn's escape, flying him to Istanbul, and then to Beirut. The company said its employee falsified flight records so Mr Ghosn's name did not appear.
All three defendants were expected to appeal against their convictions.
Lawyer Erem Yucel said the two pilots who took Mr Ghosn from Istanbul to Beirut were acquitted on a technicality, because the former Nissan chief’s Lebanese nationality meant that he could not be considered a migrant being smuggled to Lebanon.
"Those who took him from Istanbul to Beirut were acquitted. We don't think this verdict is right. We will appeal and exercise our legal rights," said Mr Yucel, who represented Pasin.
Pasin said: “We’re being accused of piloting the plane ... we didn’t plan the flight. It was our company which planned and arranged everything and assigned us to this flight."
Mr Ghosn, 66, who has French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, led Japanese car maker Nissan for two decades. He is wanted on charges of breach of trust in misusing company assets for personal gain, and breaking securities laws in not fully disclosing his compensation.
He said he fled because he could not expect a fair trial in Japan. Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan.
In addition to his trial in Japan, the businessman faces legal challenges in France from his time in charge of the Renault-Nissan alliance, including allegations of tax evasion, money laundering, fraud and misuse of company assets.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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more from Janine di Giovanni
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
