Michael Taylor, a former Green Beret member, and Peter Taylor, his son, were arrested overnight by US authorities in Massachusetts.
They allegedly helped Carlos Ghosn – the former chairman of Nissan, and CEO of Renault – escape from Japan to Lebanon through Turkey on December 29, 2019.
According to legal papers seen by The Guardian, Japanese prosecutors allege Peter Taylor met Ghosn several times before the former executive’s escape, presumably to help plan the affair.
On the day of his escape, Ghosn reportedly took a bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka.
It’s said Michael Taylor and another alleged accomplice, George-Antoine Zayek, flew a private jet from Dubai to Japan with empty boxes designated for audio equipment.
The pair are believed to have met Ghosn in an Osaka hotel room, where he was put into one of those boxes. These boxes were reportedly not checked by security staff at the airport.
The apprehension of the Taylors follows the arrest of seven people – four pilots, two flight attendants, and an airline executive – in Turkey in relation to Ghosn’s sensational escape from Japan to Lebanon late last year.
Above: Then UK PM David Cameron with Ghosn
Japan has issued arrest warrants for both Ghosn and his wife, Carole. Both are currently residing in Lebanon, which does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.
Ghosn was arrested as his private jet touched down in Tokyo in November 2018, and charged with improper use of company funds and hiding some of his income.
He was held in jail for several months before being allowed to stay at a private residence under strict surveillance.
In a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, earlier this year, Ghosn said he felt he had to escape because of Japan’s “inhumane system of hostage justice” with a 99.4 per cent conviction rate.
