Japanese prosecutors on Wednesday have searched the office of a former lawyer of Carlos Ghosn, the ex-Nissan CEO who recently fled from Japan to Lebanon while under house arrest, media reported.
While on bail, Ghosn used a computer that belonged to Junichiro Hironaka and his office for meetings, the NHK broadcaster reported. Individuals who are found to have helped the ex-Nissan CEO escape may be charged with aiding a criminal to avoid arrest, the media said.
Ghosn is accused of significantly underreporting his income during his time as a chairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Ghosn claimed that he was paid 7.8 billion yen ($71 million) in salary from 2010-2018, but prosecutors allege that he received 17 billion yen.
On New Year's Eve, Ghosn issued a statement saying that he had arrived in his home country of Lebanon. Japan’s investigative bodies sent a request to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a so-called Red Notice for Ghosn, which led to a court in Lebanon banning the ex-CEO from leaving the country.