Former Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn flees bail in Japan to Lebanon

Former Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, who was facing trial in Japan for allegedly committing financial misconduct, has reportedly fled the country to Lebanon, even though he was not allowed to travel.

Ghosn was arrested in November 2018 in Japan and held under house arrest there for months on end. Now, according to BBC News in the United Kingdom and Les Echos and L'Orient-Le Jour, the Brazilian-born has been spotted in Lebanon, where his family's heritage hails from and where he grew up before moving to France.

After his arrest in November of last year, Ghosn was released on $9 million bail in April, but he's been under house arrest ever since as he awaited trial. One of the conditions of his house arrest was that he was barred from travelling abroad.

On the move

Nothing has been confirmed as of yet when it comes to the reason for Ghosn's escape from Japan and whether he's definitely fled the country, but the unannounced departure is certainly a cause for suspicion. 

Fleeing to Europe or France in particular wouldn't have changed things for the former Renault executive as he can be prosecuted in Europe too. The reason for his initial arrest is for using company funds for private matters.