This week’s featured article

KYODO

Lebanon is unlikely to hand over Carlos Ghosn to Japan after the former Nissan Motor Co. chairman jumped bail and fled Tokyo where he was facing trial for alleged financial misconduct, Lebanon’s acting justice minister said Jan. 3.

“In the absence of any agreement with Japan in matters related to extradition, then the sovereign context that governs the situation is executed,” said Albert Serhan after Ghosn fled to Lebanon to escape what he claimed is a “rigged” Japanese justice system.

Serhan also said in a telephone interview that 65-year-old Ghosn has the “right to be tried” in Lebanon where he is a citizen if he is suspected of committing any criminal act under the country’s law.

According to local reports on Jan. 2, Lebanese authorities will question Ghosn in the near future after the government received a red notice from Interpol, the international police organization, requesting that he be detained.

Serhan said: “The Japanese authorities can take part or contribute to or take notice of the judicial procedures.”

But questioning Ghosn and putting him on trial in Lebanon are seen as difficult, given that evidence is held by Japanese authorities and taking into account the two countries’ different legal systems and the complexities involved in translation.

Ghosn, the former chief of the Nissan-Renault auto alliance who holds Brazilian, French and Lebanese nationality, was released on bail in April on conditions that included a ban on foreign travel.

Ghosn arrived in Lebanon on Monday via Turkey after jumping bail in Japan. He apparently left from Kansai International Airport in Osaka on a private jet Sunday night.

First published in The Japan Times on Jan. 4.

Warm up

One minute chat about Carlos Ghosn.

Game

Collect words related to escape,

e.g: runaway, jail, destination, flee.

New words

1) bail: the temporary release of someone awaiting a trial, e.g., “He can get bail if he pays $20,000.”

2) rig: to manipulate in order to gain an advantage, e.g., “They rigged the draw in order to win the prize money.”

3) detain: to keep a person or thing in official custody, e.g., “My luggage was detained because an officer found lots of cash in it.”

Guess the headline

Acting Lebanese mi_ _ _ _ _ _ says Beirut is u_ _ _ _ _ly to hand Ghosn over to Japan

Questions

1) How did Carlos Ghosn flee Japan?

2) Will Ghosn go on trial in Lebanon?

Let’s discuss the article

1) What do you think about the story?

2) Have you ever tried to escape something?

Reference

2020年早々予期せぬニュースが日本を騒がせました。有名経営者であったゆえその一挙手一投足が注目されていたはずのゴーン氏が多くの監視の目を潜り日本を出国したと声明を出し、日本の体制を批判したことは大きな混乱と波紋を呼んでいます。

なぜこのようなことが起きたのか、これからこの騒動はどうなるのか、またこうした事件を受けて私たちは何を思い、何を教訓とするのか朝英語の会に参加し皆さんで話し合ってみましょう。