BEIRUT: Lebanon's interim Justice Minister Albert Serhan on Friday did not rule out the possibility of the country handing over former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn to Japan.

If a Lebanese court rules Ghosn guilty and prosecutors of the country find special circumstances, it could be possible for Lebanon to send him back to Japan, Serhan told Jiji Press in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

But Serhan stopped short of referring to any exceptional circumstances that may lead to the handover of the former chief of the major Japanese automaker, who escaped to Lebanon from Japan late last month while on bail awaiting trial for financial misconduct charges.

Japan and Lebanon have no extradition treaty. Serhan said that Lebanon does not hand over its citizens to foreign authorities in principle, suggesting that it is highly unlikely for Ghosn to be sent back to Japan.

Lebanese authorities on Thursday banned Ghosn from leaving the country while asking Japan to provide all investigation materials on him to the Lebanese side.

Serhan said that the departure ban will be lifted unless such materials reach Lebanese authorities within 40 days.

Lebanon has yet to receive any investigation materials or request for the handover of Ghosn, he said, stressing that Lebanon will not question Ghosn or launch an investigation into him before the arrival of the materials.

Also on Friday, Serhan met with Japanese Ambassador to Lebanon Takeshi Okubo. The envoy told Serhan that Japan will make efforts to provide its investigation materials promptly to Lebanese authorities.

Okubo showed understanding of Lebanese authorities' investigation policy on Ghosn and asked Beirut to go ahead with related judicial process, according to Serhan.

Jiji Press