Facing trial, former Nissan boss flees Japan

Carlos Ghosn, the company chairman who was ousted after being accused of financial wrongdoing in Japan, has unexpectedly taken refuge in Lebanon. He said he was escaping “injustice and political persecution.”

Mr. Ghosn, 65, is a citizen of Lebanon, where he is legally protected from extradition, as well as of France and Brazil.

It was unclear how he left Japan: He had posted $13.8 million in bail, and was meant to be under close watch. One of his lawyers in Japan said today that Mr. Ghosn’s legal team still held all three of his passports and had not known his plans.

Background: Mr. Ghosn, once one of the automobile industry’s most prominent executives, has strongly maintained his innocence. He was set to stand trial in 2020 on accusations that he underreported his compensation and shifted personal losses to Nissan. Read our profile from last year about his rise and fall.