Ex-Nissan chief flees Japan for Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon/TOKYO－Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn was in his childhood home of Lebanon on Tuesday after fleeing was he said was a "rigged" justice system in Japan, raising questions about how one of the world's most-recognized executives slipped away while on bail.

Ghosn's abrupt departure marks the latest dramatic twist in a year-old saga that has shaken the global auto industry, jeopardized the alliance of Nissan Motor Co Ltd and top shareholder Renault SA and cast a harsh light on Japan's judicial system.

"I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied," Ghosn, 65, said in a brief statement on Tuesday.