A year after Japan learnt with horror that Carlos Ghosn had jumped bail to become the world's most famous fugitive, the fiasco and its repercussions continue to haunt the country.
Mr Ghosn was living in a monitored apartment in Tokyo awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges when he casually boarded a train to Osaka in western Japan on December 29, 2019, with two accomplices.
Do not expect a happy ending
They smuggled him past customs at Kansai airport, reportedly in an instrument case, and a day later he emerged in Beirut, after changing planes in Istanbul.
The former Nissan chief, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian nationality, declared in an astonishing press conference from Beirut that he had been forced to flee for fear of an unfair trial.
Stunned Japanese officials took days to respond officially to his escape, and their extradition demands were rejected by Lebanon as the countries have no applicable treaty.
Facing an Interpol arrest warrant, Mr Ghosn has remained effectively trapped in Lebanon, even as others face court over their links to his case.
In mid-September, the trial began against his former Nissan colleague Greg Kelly, who was also out on bail in Tokyo when Mr Ghosn escaped.
Mr Kelly is accused of having illegally and deliberately concealed payments of around ¥9.2 billion ($89 million at today's rates) that were promised by Nissan to Ghosn upon retirement.
Mr Kelly, who like Mr Ghosn denies any wrongdoing, faces 10 years in prison if found guilty, and some have claimed the escape will make prosecutors more determined to win a conviction.
"Dismissal of the charges would be a devastating loss of face that would allow Ghosn to crow from his hideout in Beirut," wrote Stephen Givens, a Tokyo-based corporate lawyer, in the Nikkei Asian Review in October.
"Ghosn's escape has sent the prosecutors up a tree from which they can no longer climb down. Do not expect a happy ending."
Others in the saga also face legal proceedings, including the alleged accomplices in Mr Ghosn's escape, former Green Beret Michael Taylor and his son Peter, who are fighting extradition from the US to Japan.
And in Istanbul, a court case is continuing against Turkish employees of a private jet company that was hired to assist in Mr Ghosn's escape.
'Years of his misconduct'
In Japan, the saga continues to cast a long shadow.
The justice ministry has launched a review of the country's bail system amid plans to strengthen it, including possibly introducing an electronic monitoring bracelet system.
Ironically, at one point while attempting to win bail, Mr Ghosn offered to wear a monitoring bracelet but was rebuffed as it was not yet part of Japan's bail system.
There is also debate about the country's judicial system, and the claim made by critics that Japan uses "hostage justice" – the lengthy detention of people before charges are filed, allegedly in a bid to secure a confession.
Prosecutors in Japan can hold a person for up to 23 days for each charge they are investigating, and may interrogate a detainee without a lawyer during this period.
That leaves them "extremely vulnerable", said Megumi Wada, a former member of Mr Ghosn's defence team in Japan and a researcher for the Japanese Federation of Bar Associations.
But wholesale reform looks unlikely, with the JFBA largely ignored by the government and carefully avoiding mention of the Ghosn case, instead calling on authorities to respect rights enshrined in Japan's constitution.
In November, Ghosn scored a victory when a UN working group on arbitrary detention concluded his arrest and detention in Japan had been "fundamentally unfair", a view that Tokyo criticised as "totally unacceptable".
Mr Ghosn is currently beyond the reach of the Japanese courts and leads a comparatively quiet life, mostly in his Beirut home. He recently released a book setting out his side of his case.
He and Nissan continue to pursue each other through various legal actions.
Proceedings in a $95 million lawsuit brought by the car maker against Mr Ghosn opened in Japan, with Nissan seeking compensation for what it called "years of his misconduct and fraudulent activity".
Mr Ghosn, who is also under investigation in France, is seeking €15 million ($18 million) from Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors for wrongful termination of his contract in a case in the Netherlands, and is fighting a similar battle against former employer Renault.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:
Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm
Thursday April 25: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm
Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm
Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Liverpool: Salah (26'), Lovren (40'), Solanke (53'), Robertson (85')
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Dhadak 2
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Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
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The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
