Japan is expected to speak with Lebanon through diplomatic channels about Carlos Ghosn fleeing Tokyo for the Middle East country, according to a senior Japanese government official.
The comment Wednesday will mark some of the earliest indications about how Tokyo plans to respond after the former head of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA snuck out of Japan, where he was awaiting trial.
The official, who asked not to be named, said the government is still unaware of various details including how Ghosn escaped Japan and his exact current whereabouts.
Lebanon, where Ghosn grew up and holds citizenship, doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Japan and it is not clear what angle the Japanese government will pursue in its diplomatic negotiations.
The former industry heavyweight also has French and Brazilian citizenship, though all his passports had been taken from him as a condition of his release on bail.
Ghosn, who faces charges of financial misconduct in Japan, has said he was fleeing Japan’s “rigged” justice system and plans to communicate his story with the public next week.
Since news of Ghosn’s escape broke some Japanese lawmakers, including ruling party member Masahisa Sato, have made comments on Twitter denouncing what they see as Ghosn’s scorn for Japanese law.
The Sankei newspaper quoted an unnamed top official at the prosecutor’s office as saying that Ghosn had made a mockery of Japan’s justice system.
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