TOKYO (AFP, REUTERS) - An American father-son duo accused of orchestrating former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn’s audacious escape from Japan admitted their role on Monday (June 14) as they made their first appearance before a Tokyo court.
Former special forces operative Michael Taylor, 60, and his 28-year-old son Peter were extradited by the United States authorities over claims they smuggled Ghosn out of the country in a music equipment case as he awaited trial.
At the Tokyo district court on Monday, the pair said they did not contest the facts laid out by prosecutors in an indictment, effectively conceding their role in the saga.
The pair face up to three years in prison if convicted of helping Ghosn, who is currently an international fugitive living in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan.
Ghosn was out on bail while awaiting trial on four counts of financial misconduct, which he denies, when he managed to slip past the authorities onto a private jet, transit in Turkey and land in Lebanon.
The escape was hugely embarrassing for the Japanese authorities, who termed it "one of the most brazen and well-orchestrated escape acts in recent history".
The prosecutors’ statement on Monday, which described the younger Taylor as a frequent visitor to Lebanon, said planning for the escape began around six months before Ghosn fled.
The statement also said that Ghosn’s wife Carole Ghosn sought help from Michael Taylor, with Ghosn later contacting the him from Tokyo with a phone he had hidden from Japanese authorities.
A third man George-Antoine Zayek, recruited by the Taylors, traveled to Japan later in 2019 to find a way through airport security, settling on the private jet terminal at Kansai airport as the best route out, the prosecutors said. Zayek remains at large.
Luggage that does not fit through the security scanning machine there is inspected by hand. That check, however, can be waived by the pilot.
The pair fought their extradition to Tokyo, claiming they could face torture-like conditions, and have not commented on their case since arriving in early March.
Tokyo's deputy chief prosecutor Hiroshi Yamamoto has declined to comment on their arraignment, but local media said both men have admitted wrongdoing during questioning.
Public broadcaster NHK has said Peter received 144 million yen (S$1.74 million) from the Ghosns for their help.
The Asahi Shimbun daily said the pair spent most of the money on preparations for the escape, including the costs of chartering a private jet, claiming that they were not paid for their help.
Ghosn remains at large in Lebanon, where he was questioned last month by French investigators over a series of alleged financial improprieties.
Among the allegations are improper financial interactions with Renault-Nissan's distributor in Oman, payments by a Dutch subsidiary to consultants and lavish parties organised at the Palace of Versailles.
The questioning took place with his defence team and a Lebanese prosecutor present. Ghosn was heard as a witness as he would need to be in France to be formally indicted.
Others involved in the Ghosn case have faced legal proceedings, including his former aide at Nissan, Greg Kelly, who is also on trial in Tokyo for his alleged role in under-reporting the tycoon's income.
And a Turkish court has sentenced two pilots and another employee of a small private airline to four years and two months in prison for their role in Ghosn's escape.
Ghosn switched planes in Turkey on his way to Lebanon, and the three Turks were charged with involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle a migrant.