TOKYO (AP) – Prosecutors in Japan say two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, fled Lebanon on Monday to former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn while he was out on bail.
Tokyo District Prosecutors are questioning Taylor since he was extradited from the United States earlier this month. They have been detained at the Tokyo Detention Center since March 2.
Prosecutors said Taylor was formally charged with aiding and abetting the crime, although the date of the hearing and other details were not taken into account. Prosecutors have been demanding his extradition for months after he was arrested and detained in the US last May.
Monday was the last day Taylor could be detained without charge under Japanese law, Tokyo Deputy Chief Prosecutor Hiroshi Yamamoto said.
Now that he has been charged that he can be detained, the court will decide whether he will be granted bail.
Yamamoto said prosecutors are constantly requesting detention on the basis of which both could flee or hide evidence. He declined to elaborate on Taylor’s health and other conditions, but said appropriate action was being taken.
Referring to Taylor’s extradition, he said: “We thank the US authorities for their cooperation and look forward to proceeding with the trial.”
Taylor was not immediately available for comment, according to the standard in Japan’s criminal system, where more than 99% of people are convicted.
Ghosn, who has led Nissan Motor Company for nearly two decades, was arrested in November 2018 and later charged with registering his return and breach of trust.
He was released on bail and fled Lebanon in December 2019. Ghosn said he is innocent. Japan has placed Ghosn on Interpol’s wanted list, but Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.
Yamamoto said Japan was still determined to see Ghosn on trial.
Michael Taylor, a 0-year-old Michael, with the help of another man, George-Antoine Zyck, is likely to have Ghosn in a big black box. Audio Dio hid the equipment, although he knew Ghosn was not allowed to leave the country while waiting for a hearing, prosecutors said.
The bus passed through airport security in Osaka, central Japan, and was loaded onto a private jet carrying Ghosn to Turkey.
Peter Taylor, 28, is accused of meeting with Ghosn and helping his father escape. Officials say Taylor was paid at least 1. 3.1 million.
U.S. Fighting for his extradition, Taylor’s lawyers said he would be treated unfairly in Japan and “mentally and physically tortured”.
They also argued that jumping on bail was not an offense under Japanese law. It is technically accurate, but most people who flee are easily caught in Japan.
Zayak is not in custody. Yamamoto declined to comment on Zayak’s whereabouts.
The Japanese lawyer says he has enough evidence to convict Taylor.
If convicted, Taylor faces up to three years in prison and a fine of 300,000 yen (2,900).
Separately, Nissan’s former executive vice president, Greg Kelly, is on trial on charges of under-reporting Ghosn’s compensation. An American named Kelly says he is innocent because he was not aware of such actions.
Nissan, as a company, is also in a state of trial. Nissan has admitted wrongdoing.
Judgment is not expected for months.
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Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
