Ghosn's lawyer just as outraged by Japan's justice system as by escape

The prosecutors leaking stuff to the media shouldn't be allowed in the trial to be presented. They just wanted to swing the judges by using the media. Japan's trial system needs a total reboot.

Ghosn is known for never having missed a Christmas with his family despite the arduous schedule of an auto executive.

Yeah well welcome to Japan! Sorry but missing Christmas is out of place here. There are plenty folks who miss Christmas coming to Japan, and because he is a rich dude who made a point to be with his family but missed it last year because of bail restrictions........????

Surprised he's still got a Nissan Leaf in his garage! Old memories die hard.

*old habits

Did Ghosn steal money from Nissan or not? If he did, then why should anybody be surprised or outraged that the justice system and the public wants Ghosn to stand trial?

On a smaller scale, how many suspects that made the news escaped from the police last year? Lots of words like outrage and betrayal are being thrown around, but me thinks it's high time to start using words like, ineptitude, incompetence or amateur.

Did Ghosn steal money from Nissan or not? If he did, then why should anybody be surprised or outraged that the justice system and the public wants Ghosn to stand trial?

Isnt that what the trial is supposed to find out? He isnt charged with theft by the way.

A lawyer for former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn said Saturday that he felt outraged and betrayed by his client's escape from Japan to Lebanon, but also expressed an understanding for his feelings of not being able to get a fair trial.

The Japanese have a complete lack of modern detective / prosecutor work, in favor of taking the path of most political convenience with thug tactics and forced confessions. Nobody gets a fair trial, even if you're innocent. They are stuck generations in the past, it's absolutely pathetic.

Ghosn was held for months without a trial while they were trying to force a confession because they didn't have any evidence. This is cruel and unusual punishment in any civilized country. One of the things that makes modern criminal justice system work is giving the accused a chance to defend themselves. This isn't a sign of weakness, it's a system that makes convictions that much stronger.

I don't know judicial system in japan. But i know ministory of justice in japan if do something wrong with you . You cannot get justice in japan. When i entered in tokyo Immigiratiion. I was Legel in japan. Officer said me you are Overstay here so i treated you like Overstay person. I protested 3 hours but i failed. This is because i agree in japan Injustice system.

Referring to Japan's judicial system, he said, "I was betrayed, but the one who betrayed me is not Carlos Ghosn."

Exactly right! Ghosn did not flee prosecution! He fled the 'kangaroo court' guilty until proven innocent judicial system of Japan.

Takano, the main lawyer on Ghosn's team in charge of his bail, acknowledged that most suspects would not be able to pull off an escape like Ghosn's. But if they could, "they certainly would have tried," he said.

Multiple detention for 21 days for single charge also additional days while waiting trial. This the one that should be highlighted.

Takano said he told Ghosn that in all the cases he has handled, there has been none in which the evidence was so scant, and that the chances for winning an innocent verdict were good, even if the trial was not fair.

Even he has good change Ghosn will have 2nd trial that will start April 2021. So before that time he will be in house arrest and can not see his wife, while seeing other corporate scandals in Japan being treated unfair compared to his case.

Another lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, has complained that spying on his client was a violation of human rights, but he declined to say who might be behind it.

So give the order for surveillance, this should be revealed too.

Men stand guard next to a vehicle as it arrives in the garage at the home of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Beirut, Lebanon

I want a garage like that.

All foreigners in Japan are required to have their passports with them to show to police or other officials.

Once again, putting out false information and trying to make it "true"!

Once a foreigner has their residency card, that is all they need to carry! Not to mention the ONLY people they are required to show said card to, is the police or immigration officials!

I can not count just how many times JT has put this information in an article! STOP!

its the 99 % conviction rate; dude is guilty already. I cant blame him for leaving. what, 10 more years of fun and games, proding the gaijin?

@Yubaru: Agree but also disagree. You have to show the residency card for many things. One in particular is for pension applications.

gogogo Today 07:13 am JST

Well, they aren't doing much the defense isn't doing. Do you realize when they are whining about for example their inability to get certain documents they are also the game of Trial by Public Opinion based on Word Scraps?

aaah, the smell of hypocrisy, if he was outraged by the system, why be part of the system and do nothing before all this except take money from clients?

All foreigners in Japan are required to have their passports with them to show to police or other officials.

All foreign ‘tourists’ are required to have their passports with them. Another fine example of AP crap reporting.

I want a garage like that.

Er... I'd park outside, the guy scares me. Apparently, you can go squatt there in Beyrouth. You bring soba to the neighbors, introduce yourself, you're home. It is the pink villa that was bought by a company that belongs to a shell society that belongs to a shell society that belongs the RNVB, the Renault-Nissan Alliance. That made it Ghosn's house. But why wouldn't that make it your house instead ?

Did Ghosn steal money from Nissan or not?

Steal ? Don't be impolite with a manga hero : he took.

Agree but also disagree. You have to show the residency card for many things. One in particular is for pension applications.

Actually you dont, you can get your juminhyo for that application and anywhere else they ask for it.

It's just more convenient to show it, that's all, but you really are not required when there are other options available.

Whatever visa Ghosn held when he arrived in Japan in 2018 is probably null and void by now, so most likely his passport was his only form of ID.

He wasn't residing physically in Japan, anymore, and very likely his visa had been sponsored by Nissan, and his accomodation(s) in Japan were part of his compensation package from Nissan.

I'm guessing that from the moment he was "fired" as Chairman, he had to pay for his own lodgings out of his own pocket as part of his bail arrangement.

I am assuming that by ‘getting a fair trial’, what they are really indicating is getting a trial where Ghosn gets off without any punishment..if so, I think they’d better manage their expectations

Ghosn is known for never having missed a Christmas with his family despite the arduous schedule of an auto executive.

Ghosn never missed a Christmas BECAUSE he is an auto executive and could do whatever he wants.

I feel bad for the lawyer, he feels betrayed understandably, yet he also understands the unfair treatment meted out to Ghosn.

One thing is sure, Ghosn doesn't trust this guy.

One thing is sure, Ghosn doesn't trust this guy.

He may have trusted they'd try their hardest, but the lawyers themselves were saying he wouldn't get a fair trial, so it would be difficult to trust they'd come out on top. And even if they did eventually come out on top, it would no doubt drag on for years.

takano san - a respectable man.

Yubaru:

"you can get your juminhyo..."

But can you get your juminrhee?

Japan's worst nightmare is that their justice system will be exposed to the world as the farce that it is.

@Tom

@Yubaru: Agree but also disagree. You have to show the residency card for many things. One in particular is for pension applications.

1) Police

2) Local government/Immigration

3) Employer

Like I said in a previous post, those are the only three situation that you are required to show your residency card. You must carry it all times specifically for police even though Japanese citizens don't have to carry ID at all times.

Everything else only needs government issued ID. A Japanese drivers license will do, but not all foreigners living in Japan have a drivers license, nor do all tourists have a residency card. Therefore, most foreigners are asked to show either residency card or passport.

You will be surprised how many Japanese people in many businesses don't know that. It is usually younger people or businesses that don't deal with a variety of foreigners very often. For example, I once had a young women at a hotel ask for my residency when I visited Gunma two years ago. I handed her my driver license, and she said no. She wanted to see my gaijin card. I explained to her the law, but she still insisted, and she said that she was going to photocopy my drivers license. I asked for a supervisor or superior, and the next mature woman looked at my ID, apologized, and handed me my key.

Sometimes, police asked local businesses to work as proxies for them by asking foreign customers to see their residency cards.

Heh, Japan needs more CSI / Law & Order style shows

@numan

 You must carry it all times specifically for police even though Japanese citizens don't have to carry ID at all times.

Even this is not necessarily 100%, anyone can check debito.org for this, of course people just want to avoid trouble so they just show their ID immoderately.  So far they only based on your appearance so even some Japanese nationality that have foreign look get ID.

https://soranews24.com/2019/10/02/pakistani-japanese-citizen-is-tired-of-the-cops-asking-him-for-his-foreign-resident-card/

I once had a young women at a hotel ask for my residency when I visited Gunma two years ago. I handed her my driver license, and she said no. She wanted to see my gaijin card. I explained to her the law, but she still insisted, and she said that she was going to photocopy my drivers license. I asked for a supervisor or superior, and the next mature woman looked at my ID, apologized, and handed me my key.

You are right even when they asked for any of your ID the only thing they supposed to do is to check whether information that you gave matches with your ID. Some of them they do try to photocopy your ID which more than required.

Anyway what argument and article of law that you used, when you talk with hotel supervisor.

As is one against all the others

If Ghosn sneaks around like a criminal, hides like a criminal and escapes like a criminal, he's a criminal.

Guilty!

The author of the article writes for the Associated Press, not Japan Today, contrary to what some commenters suggest.

As for passports and residency cards, the relevant passage, in full, is:

All foreigners in Japan are required to have their passports or residence cards with them to show to police or other officials.

Nothing erroneous there.

All foreigners in Japan are required to have their passports or residence cards with them to show to police or other officials. It is unclear whether the French passport is the one Ghosn used to enter Lebanon.

Japan in many ways has serious trust issues and for a country regarded as a major tech leader FAILS miserably by forcing old school, WWII Nazi Germany "DOCUMENTS!!!" inspections at random. I have travelled to many places around the world and NEVER have I been stopped at random and DEMANDED, on the spot, to provide my passport. Japan should be able to read most foreign IDs but more importantly, WHY THE HELL do they even need to be doing random stop and search of people going about their daily lives? This is why I understand how Ghosn must have felt about the pure abuse of the Japanese injustice system. It's just abuse pure and simple because they think can get away with it.

FYI, there is NO HUGE SIGN upon arriving in Japan or memo given to foreigners arriving in Japan informing them that they MUST CARRY their passports with them at all times. 20 to 30 years ago it was a pain to carry it around with you as guy during the summer months but now with all the 'tax free' shopping, you bring your passport with you to save the 10% tax on the stuff you 'might' buy. I would like to assume that was the plan but the Japanese government is not that bright.

Who knows, maybe Ghosn will be the tipping point that brings about a complete overhaul of the VERY MUCH BROKEN Japanese injustice system. It be a shame if this level embarrassment goes to waste and the Japanese government doesn't learn its lesson.

Japan's worst nightmare is that their justice system will be exposed to the world as the farce that it is.

ALL Japanese I know are very happy with their justice system. The only thing they're unhappy with is why isn't the lawyer charged with a crime. They say, against all legal and cultural norms he argued passionately for bail (favourable treatment for Ghosn, much more favoyrable than tge average Japanese suspect)), he gave personal guarantees, yet he doesn't have to answer for anything when the undertakings are reneged. Injustice!

Everything in Japan is a long game, and it initially seemed Ghosn was aware of that, but his moves indicate something else now. Allot of gaijin come out swinging hard, only to let the long game wear them out and they run.

Thats why, I would of let my lawyer make plea, leave Japan, then start telling what he knows to the media.

The damage would of been irreparable, even with the lost credibility of a conviction. Losing face in Japan is huge. Now, he is a fugitive.

Puzzled by his moves.

Many cases of corruption, swindling, embelezzment, and manipulation surface every day in Japan. All you hear is that they apologize or will resign. No news about indictments, trials, incarcerations, ankle bracelets, passport confiscations, bails of any kinds or amounts.

Japan's worst nightmare is that their justice system will be exposed to the world as the farce that it is.

It already has.

If the collective West has any concern about its own survival, it could do worse than emulate the arbitrary arrest procedures and cruel and unusual pretrial punishments we’ve seen in the Ghosn case for all blow in nationals from countries with similar (in)justice systems to here suspected of doing anything prejudicial to our societies interests.

I hope within next few days Carlos will show how honest he is...or not.

He will be now be judged by he crowd, not through the Japanese media. Which if it were me, I would find it be much more equitable.

I don't know if that lawyer has balls but I hope for him he speaks honestly for his sake.

MOJ have their work cut for an improved fair judicial system not to mention their deportation centers as well.

@osaka_doug

Well said.

Japanese are ignorant of plenty of things and fear discussing heavy topics (from experience from my Japanese family and years working in Japan).

Saying their justice has some wrong in their practice is like losing face and seen as making trouble, while it is a basic for any progressive country.

Anyway what argument and article of law that you used, when you talk with.,,,,,

I didnt have to tell the supervisor which article of law. I told her what happened, and that government issued ID should be enough for residents. She simply looked at my Japanese drivers license, and she checked me in without the photocopying.

Ghosn's Lawyer doesn't sound much good....

Like I said, This is Japan, his lawyers know it and we all know it. Nobody can do what Carlos had done in Nissan without any japanese involvement in Nissan. Pls stop kidding and playing innocent. Saikawa is involved as proved. We suspect that somebodies higher up is involved. Carlos is a very intelligent man , he knew that the world must know. He has only one life, he is a family man. Surely, he had no wings. He cannot take off by himself. Many good fair japanese and foreigners knows that the truth can only come out, on international free press space. Pls do not blame anyone except unfair unhuman japanese laws, which must be corrected for human beings. This was the only way to get these laws changed. TIME WILL TELL.

France will vote "no" with USA, China, and London for Japan to get atomic bomb after that. This is about world nuclear security.

The ramblings of a mad man...

Even if Ghosn had prevailed the prosecutors could and would have appealed.

Even if Ghosn had prevailed the prosecutors could and would have appealed.

They were also planning on try him for another crime, and the trial set to start in April of 2021. They were just going to keep him confined until he confessed to something/anything!