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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.

Survey says $25k barrier is a problem for EVs

The majority of consumers are more or less priced out of the market.
Electric cars are gaining popularity with the general public, but are they still too expensive? According to a survey 1,084 consumers by Navigant Research, a consulting firm located in Boulder, CO, 71 percent want their next car to cost under $25,000, while 41 percent won't go a cent above $20K. Looks like people are even thriftier than we'd originally thought.

Carlos Ghosn's detention extended over fresh allegations

TOKYO — A Japanese court on Friday approved the detention of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn through April 14 after his latest arrest over financial misconduct allegations, a move that has raised questions among legal experts. The former star executive was taken into custody Thursday over fresh allegations that $5 million sent by a Nissan Motor Co. subsidiary and meant for an Oman dealership was diverted to a company effectively controlled by Ghosn. Ghosn spent nearly four months in detention and was just released last month after meeting stringent bail conditions while he awaits trial over earlier allegations that he under-stated his compensation in financial documents, had Nissan shoulder his personal investment losses and made dubious payments to a Saudi businessman. The Tokyo District Court on Friday approved the initial 10-day detention request from prosecutors, who can seek another 10-day extension before needing to file charges against Ghosn, release him or accuse him of fresh misconduct that needs investigating. Stringing out a suspect's arrest for the full 20 days and then raising fresh accusations is common in Japan, where it is known as a "rearrest." Critics say it allows suspects to be grilled by the authorities, resulting in some signing confessions to crimes they never committed. But it is rare for a suspect to receive bail and then be taken back into custody. Ghosn, 65, was first arrested Nov. 19 and released March 6 on 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) bail, after two previous rearrests. He says he is innocent of all allegations. Prosecutors argue the latest allegations are different from the previous ones, but his legal team says they are part of the same scenario of alleged wrongdoing. In demanding the latest detention, prosecutors argued Ghosn may tamper with evidence related to the fresh allegations. Prosecutors had earlier fought against bail for Ghosn, a citizen of France, Brazil and Lebanon, arguing he was a flight risk. Ghosn's lawyer Junichiro Hironaka pointed out prosecutors have already raided Ghosn's property and taken everything, leaving little to tamper with.