crime

Japanese deputy justice minister tells Lebanon Ghosn should stand trial in Japan

64 Comments
By BASSEM MROUE

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64 Comments
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Give it a rest already

25 ( +32 / -7 )

A statement released by Aoun's office said the president told Yoshiie that Lebanon repeatedly sent letters to Japan regarding Ghosn's case while he was under arrest, without getting any official response.

The president stressed the two country's had no extradition treaty, and added that Ghosn entered Lebanon legally through its international airport using his French passport and a Lebanese identity card.

I like that.

36 ( +42 / -6 )

An entire country vs one person, priorities please! This case has NOTHING to do with the government.

27 ( +34 / -7 )

Lebano is a sovereign nation and it gave s proper answer to the Japanese counterpart.

Besides as gogogo mentioned,they made it all sound a whole country Vs an individual.

Governments should care of real problems like a broken economy and the spread of viruses rather than try to save “honour” and face.

25 ( +31 / -6 )

Gotta keep pushing the Ghosn news out to the Japanese public, or they might pay attention to the news that are actually matters, such as Coronavirus lol

33 ( +39 / -6 )

@Jeff Ko: Yep 100% true, create other issues, end of this week it will be NK

22 ( +28 / -6 )

The horse has bolted, I repeat the horse has bolted, time to close the barn door.

21 ( +24 / -3 )

"He should be obviously tried in Japan and this is something we want to emphasize,"

No, he should not stand trial in Japan. He should stand trial in an international court to get a fair trial. In the eyes of the Japanese injustice system, he is already guilty of all charges and a court appearance is not for a trial. It is for sentencing only. If the Japanese prosecutors are so sure they have the evidence to convict Ghosn it should make no difference where he is tried. The only reason they want him to be tried in Japan is so they can control court proceedings and limit the amount of evidence presented during the proceedings. He is already guilty in Japan and they will not allow him to defend the charges against him.

33 ( +39 / -6 )

I love how Lebanon basically told Japan to get lost, and showed them evidence of the way Japan ignored Lebanon until it wanted something.

Good for them.

37 ( +41 / -4 )

♪︎Let him go, let him go. You won't get him back anymore.♪︎

14 ( +18 / -4 )

Crying over spilt milk or what!

17 ( +22 / -5 )

If ghosn is innocent where are hIs documents there is none so he is guilty n if lebanon doesnt extradite him japan should simply learn from ghosn n give the lebanon fund to hizbollaz m by the grace of abdullah gosh will b back to japan

-40 ( +2 / -42 )

The way I see it, guilty or not with regards to the Nissan situation, taking his age into consideration, he'll get life in prison just for jumping bail.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

How can Lebanon extricdite him, when the goverment will look like traitor to there own people, loyalities are big thing there.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

On Friday, Japan's Justice Minister Masako Mori said she was dispatching Yoshiie to Beirut to explain the Japanese criminal justice system and improve cooperation.

What a joke! Mori, enough with embarrassing your country and yourself. If you have half a brain, you'd keep your mouth shut and hope people forget about your JOKE of a justice system. You humiliated yourself on the world stage when the world found out about how you conduct BS justice. Pick at a scab, blood will spill.

17 ( +23 / -6 )

The Japanese official said Ghosn should stand trial in Japan.

No. No. The Japanese judicial system itself has been tried and found wanting by the majority.

21 ( +25 / -4 )

Good on you Lebanon! Tell Japan to get a real justice system and then we can talk. He should stand trial in an international court, not one run and maintained by muppets.

16 ( +21 / -5 )

How ironical and selfish of Japan to ignore official letters from the Lebanese gvt when they had taken Ghosn as a hostage and now that they need Lebanese gvt cooperation,they are pleading for cooperation from the very gvt they ignored.

20 ( +25 / -5 )

Good on you Lebanon! Tell Japan to get a real justice system and then we can talk. He should stand trial in an international court, not one run and maintained by muppets.

This should be a wake up call to Japan to put them on notice that they really need to overhaul their outdated draconian judicial system and bring it up to date and to the 21st century. Maybe Ghosn is guilty of these allegations, not for me to judge, but the man wouldn’t have bailed if the system were fair overall.

15 ( +20 / -5 )

Time to START negotiating an extradition treaty.

With Japan pushing hard and using their oh so clever negotiating skills, it should take about ,,,,,, 50 years or so.

Gary

16 ( +20 / -4 )

The president stressed the two country's had no extradition treaty, and added that Ghosn entered Lebanon legally through its international airport using his French passport and a Lebanese identity card.

Well, that should say a lot!

A statement released by Aoun's office said the president told Yoshiie that Lebanon repeatedly sent letters to Japan regarding Ghosn's case while he was under arrest, without getting any official response.

If Japan was unwilling to help Lebanon by replying to their inquiries about the case, why should they help them now EVEN WITH the fact that there's no extradition treaty between both countries? Just give it up already, Japan! This bird has flown!

10 ( +14 / -4 )

They say: Blue tie, blue pill the sign that never tells it like it is... i.e. the matrix

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Shouldn't be in that area of the world anyway. Coronavirus is spreading rapidly. Who knows how many actual cases are in Lebanon?

Or, perhaps that's why the Deputy Justice Minister was sent?

As others have said: give if up, already!

And, make sure he's quarantined once back in Japan.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

A statement released by Aoun's office said the president told Yoshiie that Lebanon repeatedly sent letters to Japan regarding Ghosn's case while he was under arrest, without getting any official response.

Which resulted in Japan sending it's justice minister with his tail between his legs to Lebanon.

On Friday, Japan's Justice Minister Masako Mori said she was dispatching Yoshiie to Beirut to explain the Japanese criminal justice system and improve cooperation.

April 1st isn't for another 4 weeks. Seriously, Japan's criminal justice system's conviction numbers tells you all that you need know about it. I would love to hear what he actually tried explaining. If he said anything about fairness that would be the ultimate joke.

11 ( +16 / -5 )

The president (of Lebanon) stressed the two country's had no extradition treaty, and added that Ghosn entered Lebanon legally through its international airport using his French passport and a Lebanese identity card.

In diplomat-speak, that means, "You're out of your mind if you think we're extraditing him. Get lost."

12 ( +16 / -4 )

"Judges who dare to find people not guilty get punished professionally." (Hiroshi Segi, a former Supreme Court judge, in his book entitled “The Hopeless Court”). So did Ghosn really have a chance at a fair trial in Japan?

Hiroshi Ishikawa, a former prosecutor: “I was taught that foreigners and gang members have no human rights. I was taught that winning is everything. And with the de facto power to detain someone who insists they’re innocent all the way up to their trial, we usually win. However, that doesn’t always mean that justice is served.”

17 ( +22 / -5 )

Japanese Government should have consulted with me before going to Lebanon. Would have saved them some time since I could have told them the outcome beforehand...

3 ( +8 / -5 )

I mentioned before that for Japan international crisis is a one-way street. Letters from Beirut were routinely ignored. Now they want cooperation. When Lima asked for a criminal former president brought back to Peru for a trial, Tokyo also ignored. Enough with tatemae. Let's get down to the honne of the matter. Is Japan a full member of the international community or not?

17 ( +21 / -4 )

this is all show, they, Japanese government knows nothing will happen,but you know they have to save face somehow!!!

1 ( +7 / -6 )

For that to happen, Japan would need to develop a criminal justice system. No better than China, Japan is not a candidate for extradition.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Ghosn should run for office and be a Trump for Lebanon, turn his country around with an economic miracle, then Japan would look bad even more.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Hahaha what did he expect would happen? Just how tone deaf are these simpletons? It's a delicious feeling being vindicated for being right. Delicious indeed.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Ridiculous!!! Get over it

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Tax payers hard earned money put to waste meanwhile the citizens are running around looking for toilet roll.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Japan has disrespected and ignored rulings of foreign courts but now, in blatant hypocrisy and arrogance expects a foreign nation to recognize its own judicial system.

17 ( +19 / -2 )

See you at the Hague, in about five years or so.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Problem is the Prosecutors are an arm of the government/ companies rather then being impartial/ seperate. So there is absolutely no way he was going to get a fair trial. The result was set, even before the trial/ evidence, well no confession that's regrettable. Evidence? Can't find any! (Incompetent) or there is none, and he won't confess so 10 years jail for not confessing to something we can't actually prove. Think that explains the Ministry of Justice system.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Love that main pic, looks like Marie is thinking /saying something like- well if you think those 2 cups you put down on my table impress me, try again..

Well what else can the poor guy offer? From the photo, it seems she already has a fax machine. :p

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Hahahaha...You want what?...and should do what?...hahahaha!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Anything Japan can do to take the focus off its own failings, I guess. Meanwhile, what happened to the other execs complicit in Ghosn's crimes? NOTHING, except massive golden parachutes if they decided to retire... you know... "to take responsibility".

And I love this, "Japan thinks..." when they always snub the thoughts of any other nations on things domestic. Maybe if Japan wanted Ghosn to stand trial in Japan they shouldn't have let him walk out the open front door.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

You're flogging a dead horse with this, Japan.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Understanding != Agreement

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Letters from Beirut were routinely ignored.

Why should Beirut's letter be given weight? Sure, as a foreigner Ghosn gets consular assistance, but right up until he started getting imprisoned and needs a hidey-hole, he's acting as if he's French, not Lebanese. The French President, maybe, but why the Lebanese?

As for Fujimori:

Alejandro Toledo, who assumed the Peruvian presidency in 2001, spearheaded the criminal case against Fujimori. He arranged meetings with the Supreme Court, tax authorities, and other powers in Peru to "coordinate the joint efforts to bring the criminal Fujimori from Japan." His vehemence in this matter at times compromised Peruvian law: forcing the judiciary and legislative system to keep guilty sentences without hearing Fujimori's defense; not providing Fujimori with representation when Fujimori was tried in absentia; and expelling pro-Fujimori congressmen from the parliament without proof of the accusations against those congressmen. These expulsions were later reversed by the judiciary.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

@marcelito Today 04:54 pm JST

From the viewpoint of the Japanese government, Lebanon had no standing in this case. The French do, but Lebanon (and Brazil) don't. For his part, Ghosn definitely barely remembered his Lebanese part until he needed to use Lebanon as a hiding hole, thus he has trips to Israel.

If anything, why would a President have a personal interest in one man. Even if he was a citizen, it's not like the company he's running is Lebanese or any such thing. He is not only interfering, but interfering for a "nobody".

Of course, I grant that it makes things harder now, but I'll say it is not the fault of the Japanese government, who basically acted reasonably at the time.

The Lebanese, on the other hand, are basically abetting injustice by hiding Ghosn.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

What works in Japan does not work outside of Japan. Japan is a island nation. So...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@kazuaki

From the viewpoint of the Japanese government, Lebanon had no standing in this case. The French do, but Lebanon (and Brazil) don't. For his part, Ghosn definitely barely remembered his Lebanese part until he needed to use Lebanon as a hiding hole

Ghosn was born in Brazil and spent his youth and went to school in Lebanon, that's why he can speak fluently Arabic. He also help to grow Nissan business in middle east using his language and influence so Lebanon is part of him.

A statement released by Aoun's office said the president told Yoshiie that Lebanon repeatedly sent letters to Japan regarding Ghosn's case while he was under arrest, without getting any official response.

Lebanon has to ensure that they protect their citizen, they've done that by repeatedly sent letters to Japan even Japan just ignore all those letters. Not until Ghosn manage his escape then Japan try to arrange this official meeting.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@kazuaki

Why should Beirut's letter be given weight?

So in this case if things put in the same manner, why Lebanon need to put Japan in priority? It doesn't matter how high is Japanese official who went to Lebanon.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Oh let's waste tax payers money and time & also try and save some face by sending some unimportant useless minister to ask if we can have Ghosn back coz we wanna torture him and deny him his human rights a bit more in good ole Japan..

Pathetic Japanese response to an issue that is clearly over.

Get over it...Ghosn is gone!

Good luck to him!!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I don't see how someone could still try to defend Japan's injustice system. The prosecutors didn't do the "right" thing. What they did is follow their rules and the rule is obviously flawed and bias towards getting conviction instead of serving justice. Justice is the keyword here. Not rules.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I remember when Japan let Alberto Fujimori hide in Japan from Peru for years and years, protecting him from prosecution in Peru.

Seems that the government isn't happy when the shoe is on the other foot.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

"He should be obviously tried in Japan and this is something we want to emphasize," he said in Japanese,  as his comments were simultaneously translated into English.

Theatrics; amateur hour. If you are serious about getting Ghosn back wouldn’t it be prudent to find someone who can speak directly to those you intend to influence. Surely high level government officials could have chosen someone who could speak English. You don’t speak THROUGH people to get results, you speak TO people. But that takes true self belief and conviction, something these boys will never have,

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I remember when Japan let Alberto Fujimori hide in Japan from Peru for years and years, protecting him from prosecution in Peru.

Whats with the flip flop? Weren't you one of the myriad of individuals on here that thought Ghosn was guilty as charged right off the bat?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Whats with the flip flop? Weren't you one of the myriad of individuals on here that thought Ghosn was guilty as charged right off the bat?

Um, no. Where did you get that silly idea? I’ve never made any claims to his innocence or guilt either way.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If japan wants ghosn fund hizbollah not lebanon then lebanon will have new govt its economy will develop n no hiding hole for ghosn n he will b back in japan no other means will bring him back

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

the big Q is .... will Nissan survive long enough to see the end of the trial in Japan or or in an International court of law???

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japan’s deputy “justice” minister: But you have to understand that we don’t allow lawyers present during interrogations because it might dissuade someone from incriminating themself while under pressure.

The rest of the civilized world: Huh . . .

1 ( +3 / -2 )

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