Japan seeks Interpol wanted notice for wife of ex Nissan boss

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese authorities have requested the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) for an Interpol wanted notice for the wife of former Nissan Motor boss Carols Ghosn, local media reported on Saturday.

If the notice is issued for his wife, Carole, the couple's travel chances outside of Lebanon may be restricted, Mainichi newspaper said. Interpol has already issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn.

The request from Japan was made on Thursday, Mainichi and other Japanese media said, quoting unnamed sources.

Officials at the Japanese justice ministry weren't immmediately available for comment.

Japanese prosecutors on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant against Ghosn's wife for alleged perjury, as officials stepped up efforts to bring the fugitive car industry boss back to face trial on financial misconduct charges.

Ghosn, the former Nissan and Renault chairman, fled Japan to Lebanon, his childhood home, last month as he awaited trial on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds, all of which he denies.

His dramatic escape has raised tensions between Japan and Lebanon, where Ghosn slammed the Japanese justice system at a two-hour news conference on Wednesday, prompting Japan's Justice Minister to launch a rare and forceful public response.

Lebanon, which has no extradition agreement with Japan, may lift a travel ban on Carlos Ghosn if files pertaining to his case do not arrive from Japan within 40 days, caretaker justice minister Albert Serhan said in a statement on Friday.

(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)