Washington/New York - The United States arrested two people on
Tuesday for their alleged role in smuggling former Nissan chief
Carlos Ghosn out of Japan where he was facing trial, according to
court documents filed in Massachusetts.
Michael and Peter Taylor are scheduled to appear before a judge later
in the day, according to the filings, which did not note any
attorneys for the defence.
Michael, the older Taylor, is reportedly a former green beret, a
member of the elite special forces unit of the US military. Peter is
his son.
They managed to get Ghosn out of Japan by pretending to be musicians
and hiding him in boxes that looked like they were holding music
equipment.
The boxes escaped detection by customs authorities in Japan before
being loaded onto a private plane, according to the paperwork.
The suspects are wanted in Japan and a warrant was issued for them
earlier this year. The case material was unsealed in the US following
their arrests, according to the filings.
Ghosn, who once led the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors alliance,
was arrested in November 2018 in Japan and charged with financial
crimes.
He has denied all charges but fled to Lebanon in December last year,
in a complex operation, saying he was escaping "injustice and
persecution," and claiming there was a political element to the case.
The court filings say the suspects arranged numerous meetings with
Ghosn in Japan. Other individuals were also involved, the allegations
say.