Japan court approves detention of 2 Americans for aiding Ghosn escape

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TOKYO, March 3 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese court on Wednesday greenlighted prosecutors' request to detain two Americans accused of aiding former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn to escape Japan for Lebanon while awaiting trial in 2019.

The Tokyo District Court approved the detention of Michael Taylor, 60, a former member of Green Beret, and his son Peter Taylor, 28, until March 12.

The approval came a day after the Taylors arrived in Japan under an extradition treaty with the United States.

They will be questioned at the Tokyo Detention House, where Ghosn had also been held after being charged with financial crimes. He had been detained for more than 100 days before being granted bail.

According to Japanese prosecutors, the two helped Ghosn to escape from his home in Tokyo to a hotel in the western prefecture of Osaka, and then smuggled him out of Japan in a box used for transporting musical equipment on a private jet to Turkey from Kansai International Airport, though Ghosn's bail did not allow him to travel overseas.

He then escaped to Lebanon which does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.

U.S. prosecutors said the Taylors received more than 1.3 million U.S. dollars from Ghosn and his family for helping with the escape plot.

If they were indicted and found guilty, several judicial officials said they may receive suspended sentences, according to local media reports.

The father and son were arrested in Massachusetts in May last year by U.S. authorities at the request of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. Enditem

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