Caretaker Justice Minister, Albert Serhan, affirmed on Friday that "the Lebanese State is keen on friendly relations with Japan, and that the case of businessman Carlos Ghosn will not affect the existing cooperation, within the framework of bilateral relations."
Minister Serhan's remarks came during a series of chats with foreign media, where he indicated that "Ghosn was summoned by the State Prosecutor for interrogation, in reference to the international arrest warrant, that is, the red notice issued by the Interpol. It was the duty of the Lebanese judiciary to investigate this matter."
Upon Interrogation, Ghosn was served a travel ban and his French passport was confiscated. "If the Japanese authorities did not initiate a recovery request within 40 days, the travel ban will be dropped," he explained.
On the charge of economic normalization with the Israeli enemy, Serhan pointed out that "this file has nothing to do with the charges filed by the Japanese judiciary. Lebanese laws criminalize dealings with the Israeli enemy. Ghosn was thus summoned by the State Prosecution, interrogated, and also banned from traveling."
"Ghosn’s wife Carole will be questioned by Lebanese prosecutors when authorities receive an Interpol notice," he added. "Carole will be subject to the same procedures that were followed for (Carlos) when the red notice was received from Interpol."
Serhan said he "discussed with the Japanese Ambassador (...) the existing bilateral relations and the keenness on friendship and cooperation ties," stressing that "the Lebanese judiciary will carry out its duty independently and transparently, as evidenced by what happened during the interrogation.
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