Carlos Ghosn escape accomplices plead guilty in Tokyo court

An American father-and-son duo charged with helping former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn flee trial in Japan a year and a half ago pleaded guilty in a Tokyo court on Monday.

Appearing for the first time since they were extradited to Japan from the US earlier this year, Michael Taylor, 60, and Peter Taylor, 28, listened as the prosecutor read out the charges. Asked by the judge whether there was anything wrong with the charges, Michael replied “No, your Honour” while Peter said “No, ma’am.”

The duo, dressed similarly in dark jacket and pants, white shirt with no tie and plastic slippers, arrived in handcuffs. Michael appeared frail, his hair thinning and voice raspy. His son appeared stronger and spoke with confidence. Both have spent time in solitary confinement.

The Taylors were brought to Japan in March to face charges related to their involvement in Mr Ghosn’s escape in late 2019 from Japan, where he was facing charges of financial misconduct. After smuggling himself in a case for audio equipment and boarding a private jet, the former auto executive made his way to Beirut, where he currently resides.

The pair face a maximum of three years in prison on charges of harbouring or enabling the escape of a criminal. They had already served time in the US before being extradited. It is not clear whether that time will be factored into their sentencing in Japan.

Michael has never denied his involvement in Mr Ghosn’s escape, even describing how he executed the operation in interviews in the past, though he had maintained that his son, Peter, had no role in the escape.

Upon entering the courtroom at the Tokyo District Court on Monday afternoon around 2pm local time, the Taylors, represented by five lawyers, were handed earphones to listen to the translation, asked their particulars by one of the judges and then read details of their indictment by one of two prosecutors.

The prosecutor outlined how Mr Ghosn was facing a trial for falsifying financial reports and breach of trust, and “knowing that he was supposed to face this trial and he should not hide or go abroad, knowing all that, you helped him avoid the trial by helping him escape via Turkey to Lebanon?”.

The prosecutor then read from a statement that said the Taylors hid Mr Ghosn in some luggage and then took him to a hotel in Osaka and then onto Kansai airport, still hidden. The box with Ghosn was then moved to the international airport past the premium gate, past security and placed on a jet that left Japanese territory.

Both Michael and Peter, who appeared calm throughout and briefly looked at reporters in the audience box, said there was no problem with those allegations.

At the time of Mr Ghosn's escape, he was awaiting trial on charges that he understated his compensation in Nissan's financial statements by 9.3 billion yen (£60m) over a decade and enriched himself at his employer's expense through payments to car dealerships.

Mr Ghosn, who denies any wrongdoing, remains a fugitive in his childhood home, which has no extradition treaty with Japan.

Greg Kelly, a former Nissan executive charged with helping Mr Ghosn hide his earnings, is also standing trial in Tokyo. He denies the charges.