The Nissan Mess: The Unusual Suspects

Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of Nissan, now a fugitive, will make his first public appearance on Wednesday, several days after his dramatic escape from Japan. He was scheduled to be tried for alleged financial misconduct….in 2021. (He was arrested in 2018 and detained for 128 days)

After being muzzled for months by Japan’s prosecutors, under a Damocles sword that if he held a press conference, he would be re-arrested and thrown into “the pig-box” (detention cells/jail), Carlos Ghosn will tell all tonight. 

Ironically, the Japanese media, which has except for a few periodicals, kept leaking information from Nissan and the prosecutors without scrutiny, has been shut out of the press conference. 

According to Fox Business News:

Carlos Ghosn told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo this weekend that he has “actual evidence” and documents that will prove that this was a coup to take him down.

Ghosn told Bartiromo that at a press conference this week he plans to name names, including some people behind the Japanese government which he believes, are behind his 2018 arrest over financial misconduct allegations. Ghosn believes “they wanted to take him out” because he was going to merge with Nissan and Renault.

The big questions: who are the suspects, who will be on the J’Accuse list？

Based on talks with Carlos Ghosn, his lawyers and former Nissan and Renault executives here is my list of the unusual suspects .

Yoshihide Suga (Cabinet Spokesman)

菅義偉官房長官

Hari Nada (Nissan executive who made a plea bargain with prosecutors)

ハリ・ナダ氏

Hitoshi Kawaguchi (Nissan executive and close friend of Suga) 

川口均氏

Akihide Kumada (former special prosecutor, Prime Minister Abe’s pet lawyer) 

熊田彰英氏（ヤメ検）

Toshiaki Ohnuma (Nissan executive who allegedly made a plea bargain with prosecutors) 

大沼敏明氏

Masukazu Toyoda (former METI official who seems to have been put on Nissan board just in time to plot Ghosn’s downfall. Nissan spy?) 

豊田正和氏

Phillippe Klein (Renault)

Allegedly was in Renault on November 20th all the “evidence” to prove Ghosn was guilty.