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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 7 January 2020
Japan vows to improve border checks, bail after Ghosn flight

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's jus- the overwhelming interna-
tice minister vowed Mon- tional criticism of its legal
day to strengthen border system, which Ghosn will
departure checks and re- likely continue in Lebanon,
view bail conditions after and instead grow even
Nissan's former chairman, more insular and rigid in its
Carlos Ghosn, fled the views.
country. Details of Ghosn's stun-
Masako Mori told reporters ning escape last week are
at a news conference the unclear. But Turkish airline
ministry has already acted company MNG Jet said
to prevent a recurrence two of its planes were used
but declined to give de- illegally, first flying him from
tails. Osaka, Japan, to Istan-
She was asked about re- bul, and then on to Beirut,
ports that Ghosn had hid- where he arrived last Mon-
den in a box and that bag- day and has not been seen
gage checks at a regional since.
airport might have been Lebanon has said he en-
insufficient. tered legally with a French
Ghosn skipped bail while passport.
awaiting trial on various Ghosn promised to talk to
financial misconduct alle- reporters on Wednesday.
gations and later said from His lawyers in Japan said
Lebanon that he did it to Japanese Justice Minister Masako Mori speaks about Nissan's former Chairman Carlos Ghosn they knew nothing about
escape injustice. during a press conference at her ministry in Tokyo, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. the escape and felt be-
Mori declined to say who Associated Press trayed by his action.
might be held responsible Once an auto industry su-
for such a high-profile flight, of the nation's judicial sys- set. Ghosn was detained, to win a verdict of inno- perstar, Ghosn was first ar-
stressing it was still under in- tem, including introducing twice, for a total of 130 days cence in court, but also rested in November 2018.
vestigation. electronic tethers to moni- before he was released on expressed an understand- While out on bail, he was
She said Ghosn left illegally, tor those out on bail. bail a second time. ing how Ghosn might have living in a home in an up-
denouncing it as an "unjus- "We are aware of the criti- Mori said each nation has lost hope with not only the scale part of Tokyo under
tifiable" crime. cisms," Mori said, referring its own judicial system and prosecutors but the entire strict surveillance as part
"Japan's justice system al- to human rights advocates' arrests are rarer in Japan Japanese judicial system. of the conditions for his re-
lows investigating the facts descriptions of Japan's le- than in other countries, sug- Lawyer Yuichi Kaido said lease. That raises questions
while it ensures the individ- gal system as "hostage jus- gesting arrests are made he was troubled by what about how he left unde-
ual basic human rights at tice." only when the authorities he saw as the growing tected.
the same time," Mori told Ghosn and others say Ja- are fairly confident they negative public reaction of Security cameras at his
reporters at the ministry. pan's system takes too long have a case. demanding bail be refused home operated 24 hours a
"It is set with appropriate and is inhumane. Ghosn "Simple comparisons are for foreign suspects, noting day, but the footage only
procedures and it is oper- was banned from meeting misleading," she said. Japanese don't empathize had to be submitted to the
ated appropriately." with his wife while out on Takashi Takano, one of with Ghosn's actions at all. court on a monthly basis,
But she acknowledged the bail. Preparing for his trial Ghosn's lawyers in Japan, He said in an online state- according to lawyers' doc-
case was being looked at has taken about a year, said he felt sad and be- ment he feared Japan uments detailing Ghosn's
under an ongoing review and a date has not been trayed Ghosn didn't try wouldn't be able to bear bail conditions. q

New top China official in HK brings wishes from 'motherland'

Associated Press The semiautonomous Chi- In recent years, Hong Kong
HONG KONG (AP) — As nese territory is in its eighth residents have chafed at
Hong Kong enters its eighth month of fiery anti-govern- greater restrictions on pub-
month of anti-government ment demonstrations. The lic expression, including the
protests, Beijing's new top movement, dominated jailing of pro-democracy
official in the territory said by young people wary of activists.
Monday that he has full President Xi Jinping's Com- "Over the last six months,
confidence in the city's munist Party-led central Hong Kong's situation has
long-term prosperity and government, began in re- been worrying," Luo said.
stability ⁠— so long as it has sponse to now-withdrawn He called the city the "Pearl
the support of mainland legislation that would have of the Orient" and acknowl-
China. allowed Hong Kong resi- edged Hong Kongers' im-
"The motherland has always dents to be extradited to portant contributions to
been Hong Kong's most the mainland to stand trial. China's economic reform
powerful backing," Luo A former British colony, and opening up.
Huining said in his first pub- Hong Kong was returned "I sincerely wish Hong Kong
lic remarks since becoming to China in 1997 under the and Hong Kong compatri- Newly appointed head of China's liaison office in Hong Kong,
Luo Huining gestures as he speaks during a media briefing at
the head of China's liaison so-called "one country, two ots well," he said. the China's liaison office in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020.
office in the city over the systems framework," which Luo is the former Commu- Associated Press
weekend. "For Hong Kong, promises the city certain nist Party chief of northern
one country, two systems is democratic rights not af- Shanxi province. He replac- assumed office in Septem- son has been given for the
the greatest advantage." forded to the mainland. es Wang Zhimin, who had ber 2017. No official rea- change.q