Lebanon gets Interpol alert for ex-Nissan boss Ghosn

Beirut - Sources said a delay to a trial and a strict ban on communicating with his wife motivated him to escape.

Lebanon received an Interpol arrest warrant on Thursday for former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, while Turkey launched an investigation into his daring escape from Japan via Istanbul.

Ghosn has become an international fugitive after he revealed on Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon to escape what he called a "rigged" justice system in Japan, where he faces charges relating to alleged financial crimes.

Sources close to Ghosn said a delay to a trial and a strict ban on communicating with his wife motivated him to go ahead with a plan to use a private security company to smuggle him out of Japan via private jet.

The Interpol red notice, which calls on authorities to arrest a wanted person, was received by Lebanon's internal security forces and has yet to be referred to the judiciary, a Lebanese judicial source said.

A Lebanese security official said it was not yet clear if Ghosn would be summoned for questioning over the warrant but said Lebanon does not extradite its citizens to foreign states. - AP

• MENA