A Turkish court sentenced a private airline executive and two pilots to four years and two months in prison for their role in former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape out of Japan in 2019, NBC News reported on Thursday.
Two other pilots were acquitted by the court of the charge of "illegally smuggling a migrant," while two flight attendants were also acquitted of failing to report a crime.
A judge handed down fines of 31,240 Turkish lira, equivalent to $4,352, to the airline manager of MNG Jet and the two pilots.
MNG Jet has admitted that two of its aircraft were used illegally in Ghosn's escape.
Legal counsel for all three men said they maintained their innocence and will appeal the verdict.
Ghosn, once a prominent figure of the global car industry, was arrested late 2018 in Japan and charged with financial misconduct and violating securities laws in under-reporting his salary. He denied all the charges.
The ousted chairman of the alliance of Nissan Motor, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors had been under house arrest and awaiting trial in Japan when he escaped in December 2019.
Ghosn was flown to Istanbul on a private jet and then transferred onto another plane to Beirut, his childhood home, where he arrived Dec. 30, 2019.
He is believed to have hid inside a large box during his escape.
Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon.
Ghosn, who led Japanese automaker Nissan for 20 years, announced several months ago that he was launching a university business program.
Ghosn, who has Lebanese, Brazilian and French citizenship, is still a fugitive and remains in Beirut.
