Jan 01 (nytimes.com) -
Cameras on his doorstep. The police and reporters watching his every move. Still, one of Japan’s most famous faces gave them the slip.
Carlos Ghosn’s audacious escape from Japan has left the country flabbergasted. Its leaders are responding to questions with official silence. Even his top Japanese lawyer said he was shocked and bewildered when he saw the news on television Tuesday morning.
Mr. Ghosn, the deposed chief of the Nissan and Renault auto empire, confirmed on Tuesday that he had fled Japan to avoid a trial on charges of financial wrongdoing. He has maintained his innocence ever since his arrest more than a year ago, and in a statement issued after he arrived in Lebanon, he assailed what he described as a “rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied.â€
“I have escaped injustice and political persecution,†he wrote, adding that he planned to tell his story next week.
In the meantime, politicians in Japan wondered whether shadowy figures or even a foreign government were involved. The aggressive local media scrambled for clues.