Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn fled from his Tokyo residence after a private security firm hired by Nissan Motor stopped monitoring him, three sources knowledgeable with the matter informed Reuters on Saturday.
The businessman has become an international fugitive after he informed on Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon to escape what he referred to as a “rigged” justice system in Japan, where he was dealing with charges associated with alleged financial misconduct. Ghosn has rejected any financial misconduct.
Nissan had hired a private security firm to watch Ghosn, who was on bail and awaiting trial, to keep a watch whether he met any people involved in the case, the three sources stated.
But his lawyers had warned the security firm to stop observing him as it would be a violation of his human rights, and Ghosn was preparing to file a complaint against the company, the sources stated.
The security firm stopped its surveillance by December 29, the sources stated.
One of his lawyers, Junichiro Hironaka, informed reporters in November that they were thinking about steps to prevent people from stalking Ghosn.
A Nissan spokesperson refused to comment.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK, mentioning investigative sources, stated a surveillance camera placed by the officials in Ghosn’s home showed him leaving alone around noon on Sunday, and did not show him getting back.
It is not clear how Ghosn was able to organize his departure from Japan. Lebanon says that he entered their country legally on a French passport.
A Turkish private jet operator stated on Friday that Ghosn illegally used two of its planes in his escape from Japan, with an employee misleading lease records to exclude his name from the documents.
Ghosn has stated that he will speak publicly about his escape on January 8.
Takashi Takano, one of Ghosn’s lawyers, wrote in his blog that he felt betrayed when he discovered about the businessman’s escape from Japan but that he felt some understanding.
“I was betrayed. But it is not Carlos Ghosn who betrayed me,” Takano wrote.
Takano stated Ghosn was not permitted to communicate with his wife Carole without permission and Ghosn was also worried about his chances of getting a fair trial.
