Turkish private jet operator MNG Jet is hiring external investigators in a desperate bid to find out how two of their planes carried fugitive former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn on his Hollywood-esque escape from Japan.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed that Turkish manager Okan Kosemen, who has been with the company for ten years and who organised the leasing, has been arrested along with four pilots.
The spokesperson told Arabian Business: “We have launched an internal investigation and we are pro-actively cooperating with the authorities in Turkey and in Japan.
“I think, step by step, we will be able to find out who organised it, who commissioned it, who paid for it and everything, but I think it will take some time.”
Criminal complaint
MNG Jet has filed a criminal complaint in Turkey concerning the use of its charter services in relation to 65-year-old Ghosn’s escape from Japan, where he was awaiting trial over multiple counts of financial misconduct that he denies.
According to a previous statement from Can ŞAŞMAZ, general manager, MNG Jet, the company leased two separate private jets to two different clients: one jet from Dubai to Osaka and Osaka to Istanbul, and another private jet from Istanbul to Beirut.
The spokesperson added: “We are a victim of this. We want the truth to be availed so we can understand exactly what happened, who committed the crime and whether there were others inside or outside the company who facilitated it. We’re actively trying to find out everything.”
Nightmare
Referring to the situation with Ghosn, the spokesperson said: “This is a nightmare, especially as MNG Jet represents less than one percent of the turnover of the MNG Group. Within MNG Jet the biggest activity is on maintenance, it’s not on leasing jets. It’s a tiny activity, and then suddenly this activity is at the centre of a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Japan and perhaps Dubai.”
MNG Jet is part of the MNG Group of Companies, which employs more than 20,000 people in various sectors including construction and contracting, energy, air transportation, tourism and finance.
According to its website, MNG Jet “offers turnkey solutions in charter, operations, sales and maintenance of private jets with a dynamic and competent staff providing expert services and a know-how gathered through years of experience”.
Ghosn is due to give a press conference in Beirut on Wednesday.
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