TU-TESL

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According to Reuters, Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of the car, flew from Japan to Lebanon on Monday night, according to various media. In November last year, Ghosn was arrested by Japanese prosecutors and faced charges of concealing part of his salary, misappropriating public funds and passing on personal investment losses to the company. France's Les Echos quoted an unidentified source and Lebanon's l'orient - Le jour as reporting the news, but it was not immediately confirmed by officials. The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times also said Ghosn had fled Japan. Mr. Ghosn's lawyer did not immediately comment, but a person close to him, who declined to be named, confirmed that he was in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Monday. NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, reported that it had talked to a member of Ghosn's defence team and that lawyers did not know whether Ghosn had left Japan and were confirming whether it was true. The TV station also said prosecutors did not know that Ghosn might be abroad and were seeking confirmation. A spokesman for the Tokyo prosecutor's office did not immediately comment on Reuters, and officials at the Lebanese Embassy in Tokyo could not be reached for comment. A Nissan spokesman in Tokyo also declined to comment. Ghosn has dual nationality of France and Lebanon. It's not clear how he left when he was restricted by the Japanese court, whether he absconded or whether he has reached an agreement with the court. The Financial Times reported that Ghosn was no longer under house arrest by Japanese prosecutors, but it was unclear whether he had escaped or reached an agreement with the court. The newspaper quoted one of Ghosn's aides as saying that Ghosn landed at Hariri International Airport in Beirut on Sunday night. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported that Ghosn had fled Japan and arrived in Lebanon on Monday. One person, who asked not to be named, told the Wall Street Journal that Mr Ghosn did not believe he would get a fair trial in Japan and that he was "tired of being an industrial political hostage". According to the report, Ghosn will hold a press conference in Lebanon in the next few days. The Tokyo District Court previously said that Ghosn's actions and communications were closely monitored and restricted to prevent him from fleeing Japan and tampering with evidence. Mr Ghosn faces four charges, but he denies them, including concealing income and enriching his pockets by bribing dealers in the Middle East. Last year, Nissan fired Mr. Ghosn, saying its internal investigation found him guilty of misconduct during his tenure as chief executive, including underreporting wages and transferring $5 million of Nissan capital to his private account. Born in Brazil, Lebanese and a French citizen, Ghosn began his career at the manufacturer Michelin in 1978. He joined Renault in 1996 and earned the nickname "cost killer" after turning the French carmaker around. After Renault and Nissan allied in 1999, Ghosn revived the ailing Japanese brand in a similar way, won the status of "commercial superstar" in Japan, obtained extensive media coverage, and even published a comic book about the life of Ghosn. After his arrest, Ghosn said he was the victim of a "coup", accusing former Nissan colleagues of "backbiting" and calling them selfish rivals that are undermining the closer alliance between Nissan and its largest shareholder, Renault. Ghosn's lawyer asked the Japanese court to dismiss all charges against him. They accused prosecutors of colluding with government officials and Nissan executives to oust Ghosn and prevent Renault from buying Nissan. After his arrest, Ghosn was held for a long time, but was allowed out in April, subject to strict bail conditions, which required him to stay in Japan. (Zhang Jing)