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Turkish pilots, official get 4-year jail over Ghosn escape

33 Comments
By MEHMET GUZEL

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33 Comments
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Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Ghosn couldn’t care less. He paid well for the services...with great rewards come great risks.

20 ( +21 / -1 )

MocheakeToday  07:37 am JST

Come on. Suspend the sentences. It's the way Japan would do it were the situation reversed.

The sentences have been suspended and the fines are very little. But they are appealing because their conviction records will effectively destroy their careers as pilots.

Frankly, I hope they are able to clear their names on appeal. Pilots are only responsible for their cargo to the extent of relying upon information and manifests. They are not expected to personally go check the contents of everything coming onbard. And since this covert operation was carried out by former Special Forces experts, it's a damn good bet the pilots and crew "did not need to know".

16 ( +18 / -2 )

Poor guys, they should have checked the box before taking off I guess, the airline must have known of the plan, but they denied it and just threw the 2 pilots under the bus.LOL

13 ( +14 / -1 )

Come on. Suspend the sentences. It's the way Japan would do it were the situation reversed.

8 ( +28 / -20 )

He should have known better: pulling a stunt like that will have consequences because you can only get off scott free when it is a government-sponsored operation, in which case even murder and mayhem are "on the table", as history teaches us every day.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

The flight crew’s story is believable, Kosemen’s is not.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Well, that’s about what I expected. Ghosn gets to live out his retirement in Lebanon, free as a bird, while the lives of the people who got him there are left in shambles.

But that’s what happens when you p*ss from a great height - it’s the people on the bottom who get wet.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Come on. Suspend the sentences.

They will certainly do not go to prison.

The defendants have been already 6 months detained, that convalidates the jail sentence.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

Poor pilots.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

That's a combined 12 years, which (going by recent stories) is about twice as much prison time as you would get for leaving your own child to die in an overheated car.

Sometimes I don't understand the logic behind these prison sentences.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Sometimes I don't understand the logic behind these prison sentences.

Throw logic out the window when you're dealing with bruised egos.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

@reasonandwisdomnippon

I disagree the lesson to be learned here is if you are a Japanese based company and you hire a CEO internationally do not to try and hide what you know your CEO is worth but to pay them appropriately to international standards and be honest about it and do not fear the backlash of what is a standard payment in Japan.

it is obvious that Nissan attempted to hide what they should have paid Ghosn in a devious manner and that they commanded their employes to find ways around the law and Former Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa signed of on several "draft" compensation packages which means he agreed with those ideas.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

MocheakeToday  07:37 am JST

Come on. Suspend the sentences. It's the way Japan would do it were the situation reversed.

The sentences have been suspended and the fines are very little. But they are appealing because their conviction records will effectively destroy their careers as pilots.

Frankly, I hope they are able to clear their names on appeal. Pilots are only responsible for their cargo to the extent of relying upon information and manifests. They are not expected to personally go check the contents of everything coming onbard. And since this covert operation was carried out by former Special Forces experts, it's a damn good bet the pilots and crew "did not need to know".

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Fighto!Today  07:50 am JST

You may not yet be aware, but Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan.

The fact that Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan was mentioned so many times after Ghosn escaped that it would be impossible for practically everyone not to know.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

There is hostage justice and there is revenge justice. This is nothing else than revenge. No justice. They can't get Ghosn, so they find scapegoats. By the way, have anyone heard of the ground staff in Japan being investigated, trialed and executed? There must have been security checks in Japan, etc.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Kind of like an episode of "Locked Up Abroad", I wish for justice for those who pay people to carry luggage with smuggled as much as I don't feel any shock for those arrested after being duped or looking for money into carrying those suitcases.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The sentences have been suspended and the fines are very little. But they are appealing because their conviction records will effectively destroy their careers as pilots.

I am so pleased to hear that their sentences have been suspended, and been fined very little. I wish them luck with their appeal. No countries law / rule of law should lower itself to Japans standards of justice, which is the bottom of the pile.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

MMMMMMMM very unfair.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

MMMMMMMM very unfair.

Mmmm. Mmmm. I quite agree. Very unfair. Mmmm. Mmmm.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Greed conquers all. Do you think Carlos Ghosn has the ability to master mind this multi country escape? There is a missing Link or Carlos indeed has a devious mens rea

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Saikawa is still free though

Sep. 9, 2019 Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa resigned and admitted to inflating his compensation by changing the date when he could cash in on company stock.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

turkey needs japanese cash.....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Pasin said: "We’re being accused of piloting the plane... We didn’t plan the flight. It was our company which planned and arranged everything and assigned us to this flight.

The convicted pilots, Noyan Pasin and Bahri Kutlu Somek, who flew Ghosn from Osaka to Istanbul, had maintained their innocence throughout the trial. They, the other two pilots and the flight attendants all denied involvement in plans to help Ghosn flee and insisted they did not know that he was aboard their flights.

The airline official, Okan Kosemen, claimed he was made aware that Ghosn was on the plane to Istanbul only after it landed.

That's like arresting a McDonald's cashier for ringing up a mass murderer who is wanted by interpol because you somehow interacted with them. These people were only pawns in the game. I feel like this was just for show to shut Japan up and like in a few days they'll secertely just let them go because it is a waste of time. I hope they do so!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It looks like they got their wings clipped.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

Great news !!.. Criminals will pay !!..

Why the Ghosnbelievers still defend Criminals ??..

Mmmm, like the trumpys..

Great news, yes. Criminals pay when found guilty in a proper court of law, under a fair judicial sysytem.

Why do the Ghosn unbelievers still imply guilt before a trail ??..

Mmmm, like an unconnected issue of an ex President.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Part of the buddy-buddy relationship developed between former PM Abe & Turkish President Erdogan.

No doubt the opening of the huge hospital in Turkey last year by Abe, built predominantly by Japanese firm Sojitz, timed to the same week as the father & son "special forces" team were arrested in the states.

Certainly the public conviction of these offenders was deemed essential for the Japanese regime to keep face while "providing" for that great humanitarian cause Erdogan Inc.

With the level of corruption and criminality present in the Turkish political/social arena, such a case would normally rank low, but it is elevated to "National Crime" status to please the forces to be here in Japan.

For sure.

-4 ( +8 / -12 )

The Turkish pilots who smuggled out Ghosn have been convicted and the American father and son who masterminded his escape are being extradited to Japan. Now it’s your turn, Carlos Ghosn.

-6 ( +26 / -32 )

Good to see that there is rule of law in Turkey. Turkey is very friendly with Japan, and the Turkish government wanted to impose a big sentence to maintain great relations.

The Turkish pilots who smuggled out Ghosn have been convicted and the American father and son who masterminded his escape are being extradited to Japan. Now it’s your turn, Carlos Ghosn.

You may not yet be aware, but Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan. Lebanon has stated they will not return Ghosn to face his charges. It is possible that Ghosn can be tried for his offenses in Lebanon, however that is unlikely.

The US father and son who smuggled Ghosn will probably be in prison in Japan for 2-5 years, waiting for a trial and then after sentencing if found guilty. I hope their $Millions was worth it and funds their retirement!

-6 ( +19 / -25 )

What is the lesson to be learned after Ghosn?

Be careful who you hire as CEO.

Always monitor what they do.

If you do the crime, you should serve the time.

If you come to Japan follow the rules. Follow the laws.

-10 ( +6 / -16 )

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