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Suspects in Ghosn's Japanese escape stand trial in Turkey

ISTANBUL - Seven suspects went on trial in Turkey on Friday over their alleged involvement in former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape from Japan to Lebanon via Istanbul at the end of last year. Ghosn, once a titan of the global auto industry, had been arrested in Japan in late 2018 and charged with underreporting his salary and using company funds for personal purposes, charges he denies. The ousted chairman of the alliance of Renault, Nissan Motor Co and Mitsubishi Motors Corp had been awaiting his trial under house arrest in Japan when he made a dramatic escape in December to Beirut, his childhood home. An executive from Turkish private jet operator MNG Jet and four pilots were detained in early January soon after Ghosn's escape and charged with migrant smuggling, a sentence carrying a maximum sentence of eight years in jail. They appeared in white protective overalls, masks and gloves as a measure against the coronavirus, as the court in Istanbul began hearing their defence. Two flight attendants, charged with failing to report a crime - a charge carrying a sentence of up to one year - were also there. The first defendant to speak was a pilot on the Osaka-Istanbul flight, Noyan Pasin, who denied the charge. Prosecutors, in their indictment, had said MNG Jet operations manager Okan Kosemen - who is one of the seven on trial - knew before the Osaka flight that Ghosn would be on board and would transfer to Beirut. Kosemen, who also pleaded not guilty, said in court on Friday he was only told via phone about Ghosn's presence mid-flight from Osaka and cooperated under duress. The prosecution said Kosemen used WhatsApp to communicate with pilots before, during and after the Osaka-Istanbul flight, using terms like "luggage" and "consignment" to refer to Ghosn. The five other suspects also deny the charges, according to the indictment. SAGA SHAKES AUTO WORLD According to the indictment, Kosemen told prosecutors a price of $175,000 was agreed for the flight with a Lebanese broker and paid into MNG Jet's bank account. At the time of the incident, MNG Jet said Kosemen acted without the knowledge of the company and it had filed a criminal complaint for the illegal use of its aircraft. Japan has formally asked the United States to extradite two Americans - a former Green Beret and his son - who also stand accused of helping Ghosn flee Japan. They were arrested in Massachusetts in May.

Ghosn: Nissan-Renault strife and his arrest can be traced back to Macron

PARIS — Ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn said on Wednesday that a surprise corporate move, orchestrated five years ago by French President Emmanuel Macron, who was then economy minister, soured relations between Renault and Nissan and contributed to his ouster. Ghosn, the former head of the car alliance, said Nissan executives and Japanese officials were shocked by a 2015 decision by the French government to increase its voting rights at Renault. "This left a big bitterness. Not only with the management of Nissan, but also the government of Japan," Ghosn told reporters, although he did not name Macron. "And this is where the problem started." Macron's office did not respond to a request for comment. In April 2015, as a 37-year-old minister with then-unknown presidential ambitions, Macron ordered a surprise increase in the state's stake in Renault designed to secure double voting rights. The overnight move gave the French state a blocking minority in Renault, which in turn controlled Nissan via its 43.4 percent stake in the Japanese firm. According to French and Japanese sources, that rattled the Japanese side of the Renault-Nissan alliance, which feared a national champion was falling under the control of the French government. In the ensuing eight-month boardroom fight between Macron's ministry and Hiroto Saikawa — Nissan's second-in-command at the time — Ghosn sees the seeds of what he says grew into a conspiracy to have him arrested and oust him from control of Nissan. The 65-year-old fled Japan last month as he awaited trial on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds, all of which he denies. He is now in Lebanon, where he spoke to international media on Wednesday. "There started to be some kind of defiance from our Japanese colleagues, not only about the alliance but also about me," Ghosn told reporters. "And some of our Japanese friends thought: The only way to get rid of the influence of Renault on Nissan is to get rid of him," he added. "Unfortunately, they were right." Following Ghosn's arrest in November 2018, Nissan executives said that said governance had been eroded by RenaultÂ’s control.

Nissan planning 90-second Super Bowl commercial, plus two debut cameos

The Super Bowl is still a few days away, but the big ads from several automakers for the game are already streaming online. Nissan is bucking the trend, though, and the Japanese brand is only releasing the first 10 seconds of its spot before the actual premiere. Much like one of Toyota's ads, Nissan is choosing to focus on fathers this year. The story of the commercial is about a racecar-driving dad balancing work and life with his new child, but despite the motorsports connection, the teaser shows cars for just a few seconds. Hopefully, setting the commercial to Harry Chapin's Cat's in the Cradle doesn't make the whole thing too maudlin. We'll be seeing even more from Nissan during the Super Bowl than originally thought, as well. The automaker will now be taking 90 seconds of ad time during the game, rather than the original plan for 60 seconds. Perhaps the extension will give the company even more time to show off its two surprise product cameos during the spot. One of them is rumored to be the first official glimpse at the GT-R LM Nismo LMP1 racer. Nissan lengthens Super Bowl commercial to 90 seconds, teases "With Dad" spot with release of brief clip Nissan back as Super Bowl advertiser after nearly two decades Releases first 10 seconds of its ad as a teaser Announces the in-game commercial has been lengthened to 90 seconds Story will depict the struggle of work-life balance facing many American families Iconic song "Cats in the Cradle" by the late Harry Chapin featured Two surprise products to make cameo appearances NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan, which has been teasing its Super Bowl plans through a one-of-a-kind social media campaign using YouTube "content creator" videos and the hashtag #withdad, is giving the first hint of its in-game commercial by releasing a short preview of the spot today. Nissan previously announced it would feature a 60-second spot in the Super Bowl. The company has increased its stake in the game to a 90-second ad, which it says will tell a unique family story while maintaining a strong Nissan brand connection.