Japan prosecutors issue warrants over Ghosn escape

TOKYO: Japanese prosecutors on Thursday issued arrest warrants for a former US special forces operative and two other people accused of helping former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn jump bail and flee the country. The prosecutors also issued a warrant for Ghosn for leaving the country illegally, after he escaped to Lebanon via Turkey last month. Warrants were issued for Michael Taylor, 59, reportedly a former US special forces operative-turned-security consultant, 26-year-old Peter Taylor, who local media identified as his son, and George Zayek, 60. They are suspected of taking Ghosn to a hotel in Osaka, western Japan, and hiding him inside a case before taking him to Kansai airport where they allegedly helped him evade a security inspection. The warrants are the first official confirmation of the reported details about how Ghosn slipped past security and jumped bail shortly after Christmas. Ghosn has refused to confirm or deny the various reports on how he gave Japanese authorities the slip.