HOWTO ESCAPE FROM JAPAN
But spending $20 million to pull off a real-life Tom Cruise-like movie stunt is a good way to convince the world you truly believe you’re the victim of a grave injustice. I have no idea if he’s guilty or not. But spending $20 million to pull off a real-life Tom Cruise-like movie stunt is a good way to convince the world you truly believe you’re the victim of a grave injustice. After such a daring escape, most real crooks wouldn’t want anyone to know where they are. Not Ghosn... He recently held a press conference in Beirut. During the event – which lasted more than two hours – he answered questions in English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese... describing his arrest as being “brutally taken from my world as I know it.” Ghosn said Japanese officials interrogated him “for up to eight hours a day without any lawyers present, without an understanding of exactly what I was being accused of.”
You see, after posting almost $14 million in bail to avoid jail last April, Ghosn lived in a video-monitored house in Tokyo. And almost instantly, he began planning his escape. Finally, on December 29, it was “go” time... Ghosn took Japan’s famous bullet train 300 miles from Tokyo to Osaka. Then, he folded himself into a large, black audio-equipment case with holes punched in the bottom so he could breathe. Accomplices ferried the case through the security checkpoint at the private-jet terminal in Osaka. Security at that location had a reputation for not checking bags that couldn’t fit into the X-ray machine. Next, somebody put the case on a private jet. After the plane took off, Ghosn got out and sat all the way in the back so he could avoid the flight crew. The jet flew overnight to Turkey, where Ghosn switched planes and traveled to Lebanon, where he grew up. The great escape reportedly cost Ghosn $20 million, including forfeited bail money. Finally, as Ghosn left Turkish air space, he ripped a rubber mask off his face, showing that it was really actor Tom Cruise the entire time in a publicity stunt for his latest action flick... Mission: Impossible – Escape from Japan premieres Tuesday in theaters everywhere. OK, I made up that last paragraph just for fun... But the rest of this wild episode is all true, according to every major financial news service. As I write, Ghosn is living in Beirut. And of course, Ghosn continues to deny any wrongdoing...
He accused Japanese prosecutors of trying to force a confession by using threats, though he didn’t elaborate. (I’ve seen folks try that in the movies numerous times with Tom Cruise, too, so again... I figure Ghosn must be telling the truth.)
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February 2020
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