London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 03, 2026

Ousted Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn reportedly flees house arrest in Tokyo for Lebanon

Ousted Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn reportedly flees house arrest in Tokyo for Lebanon

Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s ousted chairman who was awaiting trial on criminal charges in Japan, flew to Lebanon on Monday evening, several outlets reported.
Whether he has struck a deal with prosecutors or fled is unknown.

Ghosn has denied charges of financial misconduct and misuse of corporate resources while running Nissan.

Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s ousted chairman who was awaiting trial on criminal charges in Japan, flew into Lebanon on Monday evening, France’s Les Echos newspaper reported.

The newspaper cited its own unnamed source and a report in Lebanese newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour. There was no immediate confirmation from official sources. Whether Ghosn has struck a deal with prosecutors or fled is unknown.

The Financial Times also reported that Ghosn was in Lebanon, according to a source close to his family and “a professional associate.”

Ghosn’s attorney did not have an immediate comment.

It was unclear how Ghosn, who holds both French and Lebanese citizenship, would have been able to leave Japan, where he has been under strict court-imposed restrictions on his movements.

Ghosn was ousted as chairman of Nissan and arrested in Japan a little over a year ago after then CEO Hiroto Saikawa accused him and another executive of a litany of financial misdeeds.

Saikawa abruptly resigned in September after an internal investigation found that he also allegedly pocketed excess pay. Nissan accused Ghosn and former Director Greg Kelly of concealing more than $327 million in payments to themselves and other executives — $187 million in nondisclosed compensation and $140 million in improper expenditures, according to a five-page summary of Nissan’s internal investigation released in September.

Ghosn, who was also running French automaker Renault as well as the fragile Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance, was removed from both of those positions while awaiting trial in Japan.

The Financial Times said Ghosn was no longer under house arrest, but said it was not clear whether he had escaped or a deal with prosecutors had been reached. Ghosn landed at Beirut’s Rafic al-Hariri international airport late on Sunday, the paper said, citing an associate of Ghosn’s.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Ghosn had fled Japan.

Ghosn’s lawyers have asked a court to dismiss all charges against him. They accuse prosecutors of colluding with government officials and Nissan executives of ousting him to block any takeover of the automaker by French alliance partner Renault.

“Contrary to the accusations made by the prosecutors, I never received any compensation from Nissan that was not disclosed, nor did I ever enter into any binding contract with Nissan to be paid a fixed amount that was not disclosed,” Ghosn told a Japanese court in January.

After his arrest, Ghosn spent a long period in detention, but more recently was allowed out, subject to stringent bail conditions that required him to stay in Japan.

In September, Ghosn reached a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission over allegedly false financial disclosures, paying a $1 million civil penalty and agreeing to a 10-year ban from serving as an officer or director of a public company. The SEC had charged Ghosn and others with concealing more than $140 million in compensation and retirement benefits.

Nissan also paid a $15 million civil penalty after the SEC charged the carmarker with violating anti-fraud rules. Both settlements were made without an admission or denial of the charges.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Church of England to Apologize for Role in Historical Forced Adoptions
UK Defence Ministry Investigates Historical Use of RAF Bases by Jeffrey Epstein
Scottish Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low
Welsh First Minister Calls for Expanded Devolution Settlement
UK Pledges £50 Million to Expand Domestic Military Drone Capabilities
UK Opens First Commercial Geothermal Plant in Cornwall
Green Party Wins Gorton and Denton By-Election as Labour Falls to Third
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Opens Review of UK-EU Relationship
UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%, Adding Pressure on Household Finances
UK Removes VAT From Domestic Electricity Bills to Ease Winter Energy Costs
Counterterrorism Police Arrest Sixth Suspect Over RAF Fairford Incident
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Chancellor John Healey Faces Tax and Pension Scrutiny Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Apologise for Accidental Disclosure in High-Profile Investigation
UK Universities Report Record International Enrolment as Housing Pressure Grows
UK Logistics Firms Monitor Rhine Disruption as Low Water Threatens European Supply Chains
UK Food Industry Warns Inflation Could Approach 7%
UK Introduces Vaping Duty and Mandatory Retail Stamps
Scotland Raises Property Taxes and Expands Child Payment in Annual Budget
Greggs Plans Four Factory Closures With 740 Jobs at Risk
OECD Raises UK 2026 Growth Forecast to 1.1%
UK Inflation Rises to 3.1% as Bank of England Faces Rate Debate
Andy Burnham Criticises Brexit and Says Rejoining EU Single Market Remains an Option
UK Imposes New Sanctions on Russian Military Networks and Propagandists
UK Launches Nationwide Early-Release Prison Scheme
Andy Burnham Says Security Services See Signs of Iranian Involvement in RAF Fairford Incident
Manchester City Found Guilty on Premier League Financial Charges After Independent Investigation
Scottish Court to Rule on Bid to Force No-Confidence Vote Against Aberdeen Council Co-Leader
UK Bans Extra Charges for Seating Children Under 12 Beside Accompanying Adults
UK Introduces Vaping Duty and New Licensing Requirements
Greggs to Close Four UK Factories and Cut 740 Jobs
Hundreds of Prisoners Released Early as England and Wales Prisons Reach 98% Capacity
UK Unveils New Russia Sanctions Targeting War Funding and Shadow Fleet
Burnham Says There Are Strong Indications of Iranian Involvement in RAF Fairford Security Breach
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Reviewing Britain's Post-Brexit EU Relationship
Markets Price in Bank of England Rate Increases as Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Borrowing Costs Climb Toward 5.5% as Global Bond Sell-Off Intensifies
UK-France One-In-One-Out Migration Agreement Expires as London Seeks Alternative Measures
Southwest England Faces Flood Alerts After Heavy Autumn Storms
UK Expands Funding for Rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Welsh Government Approves Funding to Upgrade South Wales Transport
Northern Ireland Tensions Rise as Orange Order Rejects Drumcree Compromise
NHS Leaders Back Early Design of Proposed National Care Service
More Than One-Third of Regional UK Universities Face Financial Deficits
UK Current Account Deficit Narrows as Cross-Border Financial Flows Remain Strong
Bank of England and FCA Issue New Rules for Stablecoins and Digital Assets
MI5 Warns UK Universities Over Research Links With Chinese Institutions
UK Energy Price Cap Rises 4% as Electricity VAT Is Temporarily Suspended
Equity Calls for UK Personality Rights to Protect Performers From AI Replication
OpenAI Pauses Advanced Model Training Following Safety Concerns
×