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Japanese minister meets Lebanon President Michel Aoun over fugitive Carlos Ghosn

Japan’s deputy justice minister met top officials in Lebanon Monday over the case of former Nissan’s fugitive ex-boss Carlos Ghosn who fled to his home country late last year while on bail in Japan and awaiting trial.
Ghosn was arrested in late 2018 and is facing charges of underreporting income and breach of trust. He says he is innocent. He led Nissan for nearly 20 years.
State Minister of Justice Hiroyuki Yoshiie met President Michel Aoun as well as the Lebanese ministers of justice and foreign affairs. Yoshiie did not speak to reporters after the meetings and is scheduled to hold a news conference later in the day.
Aoun’s office said in a tweet after the meeting that they discussed mutual relations and ways of developing them “in addition to matters that are of interest for both countries.”
The tweet did not mention Ghosn who made his first public appearance in Lebanon in early January saying he fled a “nightmare” that would not end and vowed to defend his name wherever he can get a fair trial.
On Friday, Japan’s Justice Minister Masako Mori said she was dispatching the official to Beirut to explain the Japanese criminal justice system and improve cooperation.
She said Japan hoped Lebanon would gain “a proper understanding of the Japanese criminal justice system.”
Japan and Lebanon do not have an extradition treaty and it is unlikely Lebanon would agree to send Ghosn back to Japan to face trial.
Mori acknowledged that there were “various environments” and laws that underpin each country’s stance.
Nissan, the maker of the Leaf electric car and Z sports car, said in a statement regarding the justice official’s trip that it hoped Ghosn would return to Japan to stand trial, “so that all the facts can be properly established under Japan’s judicial system.”
Having spent months in detention and struggled to gain his release on bail under stringent conditions, Ghosn said he fled in the belief he could not get a fair trial in Japan.
Japan has requested Ghosn’s return through Interpol and issued an arrest warrant after his escape.
Lebanese prosecutors issued a travel ban for Ghosn in January and asked him to hand in his French passport following an Interpol-issued notice against him.
Nissan’s sales have plunged recently, and it sank into losses for the last fiscal quarter. The brand is widely considered to have been tarnished by the controversy around Ghosn.
Last month, Nissan filed a civil damage lawsuit against its fugitive ex-chief, seeking 10 billion yen ($90 million) in damages. The claim added the costs of what Nissan called Ghosn’s “corrupt practices,” such as rent for overseas property, use of corporate jets and payments for the internal investigation into wrongdoing.
source: The Associated Press
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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