Jun 30, 2021 (Japan Times) - Helping Carlos Ghosn escape trial in Japan was a mistake, one that they deeply regret, said the Americans who helped the former Nissan Motor Co. chairman flee the nation to safety in Lebanon.
“I helped Carlos Ghosn escape Japan while he was on bail,” Michael Taylor said on Tuesday, his voice quavering. It was the first time he spoke at length in court. “I deeply regret my actions and sincerely apologize for causing difficulties for the judicial process and for the Japanese people.”
At a hearing two weeks ago, Michael and his son Peter agreed with assertions by prosecutors that they helped Ghosn escape the country at the end of 2019. They were extradited to Japan from the U.S. earlier this year, and face a maximum of three years in prison on charges of harboring or enabling the escape of a criminal.
“After more than 400 days in jail, I have had a lot of time to reflect,” Peter Taylor said. Both stood and bowed deeply after making their statements. “I take all responsibility and deeply regret my actions.”
The pair, dressed in dark suits and white shirts, arrived in handcuffs, flanked by guards. Michael Taylor was questioned by his attorney for about 18 minutes, followed by questioning by one of the prosecutors. He described how he came to learn that Ghosn wanted to escape, and that Ghosn’s cousin was his wife’s sister-in-law, who pressed him to help the former auto executive.
The Taylors’ case in Tokyo is the latest addition to multiple legal proceedings around the world left in Ghosn’s wake. Former Nissan director Greg Kelly is currently standing trial in Tokyo for allegedly helping to understate Ghosn’s compensation and Nissan is suing Ghosn for ¥10 billion ($95 million) in damages in a separate suit that’s proceeding slowly in Yokohama. French investigators have been questioning Ghosn in Beirut on accusations he siphoned Renault SA funds, and last month the former executive was ordered to pay almost €5 million ($6 million) to a local unit of Nissan in a case in the Netherlands.
