TOKYO: Former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn should face trial in Japan, State Minister of Justice Hiroyuki Yoshiie said Friday ahead of his visit to Lebanon, to which Ghosn has fled.

"It is of course Ghosn's duty to face trial in our country," Yoshiie told a news conference. The defendant on bail in Japan, accused of financial misconduct, fled for the Middle East country in late December last year.

Yoshiie will arrive at Beirut on Sunday to request the country's cooperation in collecting information on Ghosn's escape. He will meet with Lebanese government figures such as President Michel Aoun the following day. Yoshiie will return home Tuesday.

Ghosn "is spreading falsehoods about our criminal justice system, and we absolutely cannot overlook such actions," Yoshiie said.

"It is essential to get the Lebanese government to understand our country's system correctly and seek further cooperation," he added.

JIJI Press