Carlos Ghosn's escape from Japan is "unjustifiable" and he is thought to have left the country using "illegal methods", the Japanese justice minister said Sunday, in the first official public comments on the case.
The 65-year-old former Nissan boss skipped bail and fled Japan where he was awaiting trial over multiple counts of financial misconduct that he denies. It was the latest twist in a saga that has gripped the business world and his escape from Japan has left authorities there red-faced and scrambling to defend their justice system from fierce international criticism.
"Our country's criminal justice system sets out appropriate procedures to clarify the truth of cases and is administered appropriately, while guaranteeing basic individual human rights. The flight by a defendant on bail is unjustifiable," said Masako Mori.
"It is clear that we do not have records of the defendant Ghosn departing Japan. It is believed that he used some wrongful methods to illegally leave the country. It is extremely regrettable that we have come to this situation," added the minister. She confirmed Ghosn's bail has already been cancelled and that an Interpol "red notice" had been issued.
In separate comments, the public prosecutors office deemed Ghosn's flight a "crime" and said the tycoon had "knowingly flouted" the country's judicial procedures.
In their first remarks since Ghosn's dramatic flight just before the New Year, prosecutors said the escape vindicated their argument that he should have been kept in custody.
"The defendant Ghosn had abundant financial power and multiple foreign bases. It was easy for him to flee," the statement said. He had "significant influence" inside Japan and globally, and there was a "realistic danger" he would destroy evidence related to the case, they added.
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