Puerto Iguazú, Argentina / January 1, 2020
 
Carlos Ghosn escaped house arrest in Japan and appeared in Lebanon on New Year's Eve (link). Curious minds want to understand how he escaped 24-hour surveillance. One theory claims he hid in a box designed for musical instruments. Another theory asserts that private security operatives helped him evade police tail. We may never know how he actually escaped.
 
That aside, it is remarkable that the Japanese legal system granted him bail in the first place. The Japanese legal system is very risk averse. When prosecutors pursue a defendant, they have a near 100% conviction rate. In Ghosn's legal proceedings, prosecutors did not share crucial information with the defense counsel. When the court granted bail to Ghosn, senior executives at Nissan expressed shock. They knew that Ghosn was super wealthy and well connected. If you give Carlos Ghosn the slightest opening, he will find a way to knife through. That trait had a lot to do with his success in business.
 
The next time Japanese prosecutors catch someone like Carlos Ghosn, it is unlikely any Japanese court will grant bail to that individual.