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Do you think Carlos Ghosn did the right thing by fleeing from Japan while out on bail?

29 Comments
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29 Comments
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Rich or poor, the FACT is that he has been very UNJUSTLY treated. Zero presumption of innocence. 100% railroaded.

29 ( +43 / -14 )

Right or wrong he made the decision. Quite frankly I would have done the same.

28 ( +36 / -8 )

If you're going to steal, steal big. They treat you much better.

Had Ghosn gone into a convenience store and stolen a little money from a cashier, he'd have been locked up until his trial started. The same holds true in the U.S.

19 ( +23 / -4 )

I certainly understand why Ghosn did what he did.

At the same time though, every day another story comes out of how inept Japanese 'security' was. Video cameras monitoring him turned off. Ghosn openly walking outside of his house without anyone caring. So on and so forth. One gets the impression eventually Ghosn would have been able to see his wife and skirt other restrictions imposed on him. The Japanese media can huff and puff all they want, but they have no one to blame but their own countrymen.

18 ( +20 / -2 )

Given the way the Japanese Judicial System is, I would have fled as well, given the chance.

12 ( +18 / -6 )

The question is put in the wrong way, you can't ask if it's the RIGHT thing since legally it's not.

But if you ask if we UNDERSTAND why he did that (or would have done the same), we can answer the question on our personal opinion.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

In principle, no. But the more I think about it, he must have known that if he were innocent or guilty the outcome of this all was going to land him in Japanese prison for a long time. If I were innocent and I were looking at the same future, well... I wouldn't want to go to jail for something I didn't do. Japan has an almost 100% conviction rate he was definitely going to jail no matter what. Would I do something different? I don't know.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

There was talk of the trial being put off until 2021. That'd be daunting to anyone - guilty or not.

And re the court decision he was between a rock and a hard place.

A guilty decision would have created the real possibility of him doing cell time.

An innocent decision would have seen hte prosecutors appeal (100%), which would have prolonged the case for eons more.

All scenarios would have likely seen him remain in Japan with considerable restrictions for perhaps another 1- 2 years or even more if guilty.

The prospect of not being allowed any access to his wife & others for years I think proved just too much to bear. He's not getting any younger or healthier and the thought of more lonely days / years meant jumping ship was the best solution.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Toasted HereticJan. 6  09:22 am JST

I suppose if you're an elitist used to getting what you want, he did the right thing. But overall, it's another example of trust. The higher up the ladder these corporate types are, the less trustworthy they are. They become corrupted with greed and a lust for power, believing themselves to be above the law.

Amen to that!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

What do you mean by "the right thing"? Are you talking about his personal well-being? The morally right thing?The legally right thing?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

He didn't do the right thing but I would have done just as he did if in the same situation.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Rich or poor, the FACT is that he has been very UNJUSTLY treated. Zero presumption of innocence. 100% railroaded.

100% agree

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Nissan and the Japanese government did not want Renault to take control of Nissan. That is really what this is all about.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Well regardless of if he was guilty of his previous crimes, he is now 100% guilty of jumping bail. Ask Assange how that went for him whether he was guilty of anything else or not.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

The question is put in the wrong way, you can't ask if it's the RIGHT thing since legally it's not.

Governments are not the sole arbiters of right and wrong. If that were the case, you'd have to argue that turning Jews over to the Nazis was the "right" thing to do because it was required by law. Plenty of laws are morally wrong which makes breaking them the right thing to do.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Certainly something to have been talking about.

Gone but obviously not forgotten. - yet.

if you want attention do something outrageous or at least unexpected.

so it happened, and after the former CEO’s press conference this week we shall ignore it and god or bad will make no difference to most people.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Be clever if you are mistreated because if you steal money from a cashier, you are not worth much.

Cause and conseusence reversal.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I see one out of three here say no. But if you were facing a trial in a few months in which there was a virtual certainty you would be sentenced to years in a Japanese prison, and you had an opportunity to escape, I guarantee you would choose to escape.

Yes if he was guilty; no if he was innocent.

That makes no sense at all. If you're guilty of a crime, jumping bail is the right thing to do? Nah.

If you're innocent but you know you'll be sentenced to prison anyway, and you have the opportunity to escape so you can prove your innocence, that's the wrong thing to do? Nah.

Nissan and the Japanese government did not want Renault to take control of Nissan. That is really what this is all about.

The prosecutors making this a criminal case need to be sentenced to prison.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

They found him guilty before they had acquired the evidence to substantiate that conviction hence the ongoing extensions of detention whilst they looked for it...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I would like to be convinced that he was guilty, but for now I believe he was not.  I wish he had stuck it out, but don't want to see him returned.  His news conference should be very interesting.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

He screwed up big time, and had no regrets, couldnt give a toss for you me or the law, just an arrogant self centred ceo, just like the rest of them.

Then used his power, money to escape, as if we could do same as some think, no chance

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I suppose if you're an elitist used to getting what you want, he did the right thing. But overall, it's another example of trust. The higher up the ladder these corporate types are, the less trustworthy they are. They become corrupted with greed and a lust for power, believing themselves to be above the law.

-4 ( +23 / -27 )

Yes if he was guilty; no if he was innocent.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

I think I would have trusted my lawyer, (he was good), kept my good name, and allowed them to give me a slap on the wrist. There was not enough proof, and there others just as 'guilty' as Ghosn. The Japanese judge would have gone lightly with him. He'd never get that section of his life back, but he could have sued Saikawa et al.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

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