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TOKYO: Japanese officials are speaking out against former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn.

Akitaka Saiki, Japanese former vice foreign minister, told Arab News Japan: “The government of Japan is fully justified to demand that the government of Lebanon extradites Ghosn.”

The former minister added that even though Ghosn “does not trust Japan’s judiciary system, it does not give him an excuse to totally disregard it.”

Sources close to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke exclusively to Arab News Japan saying Ghosn’s “escape is considered a criminal act.”

“He was privileged enough to hide his valid passport from his trusted attorneys,” sources said. “Ghosn had no regard for the trust he had developed with his lawyers, as well as the greater Japanese community he had lived in for a considerable amount of time.”

The sources added that he gave up his private property in Japan and his bail, which amounts to approximately $14 million.

Speaking about his escape, sources said the former Nissan chairman “hid in a small box and hired a group of people, including one or two strong men, who moved the ‘box,’ and were professionally experienced to take risks of this kind.”

“Ghosn also hired someone else’s private jet,” they told Arab News Japan.

A “missing puzzle piece” is that Ghosn was able to avoid getting caught in the X-ray machine while being moved in the box.

“All of these offenses combined shows that this is a criminal act of human smuggling on a massive scale,” they said.

“There is no need for politicians and officials to comment on this issue because it is simply a criminal act,” the sources added.