Posted 04/04/2019 10: 37: 41CET
TOKYO, 4 Apr (Reuters / EP) –
The Japanese Justice has returned to stop the former president of the automotive firms Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi, Carlos Ghosn, for new charges that point to the manager allegedly had tried to get rich at the expense of his position as head of Nissan.
This new arrest is caused by suspicions that Ghosn had caused losses of 5 million dollars (4.4 million euros at the current rate) to Nissan until July last year, against his corporate responsibilities and his personal benefit.
According to the Kyodo news agency, this impact on Nissan’s accounts was made as a result of the manager transferring funds through a concessionaire in Oman to the account of a company owned by the manager of French, Lebanese and Brazilian origin.
The spokesman of Ghosn in the United States said that this arrest is “unworthy and arbitrary” and that it is an attempt to silence him by unidentified people inside Nissan. “Why arrest me if it is not for me to break? I will not fall apart,” the director said in a statement.
From their team of lawyers, they confirmed that the Japanese Justice has requisitioned the passport of the wife of Carlos Ghosn and also his mobile phone, as well as documents they needed to prepare the trial.
This new arrest of Carlos Ghosn comes after he announced on Wednesday that he was going to appear before the press on April 11, in what was to become his first public appearance after his bail.
“I am preparing to tell the truth about what is happening, press conference on Thursday, April 11,” explained the tweet of the alleged account of the ex-responsibility of the automotive alliance Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, opened a few days ago.
Ghosn was released on March 6, after paying bail of 8.9 million yen (about 8 million euros), after he was arrested on November 19 in Japan for alleged tax crimes.
The director of the car faces charges for alleged tax offenses aggravating the breach of confidence, having allegedly reported for almost ten years a lower remuneration than actually received, with a difference of about 82 million dollars (72.5 million of euros).
Who was one of the world’s leading leaders in the sector faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, although at all times has been declared innocent. “I am innocent and I am totally committed to defending myself vigorously in a fair trial of these worthless and insubstantial accusations,” he said.
RENAULT
This Wednesday also met the board of directors of Renault and published the results of the internal audit conducted by the Ghosn case, which detected “potential problems” in relation to payments made to one of the company’s distributors in the Middle East and that were communicated by the company to the judicial authorities.
In addition, the text confirms that the remuneration and benefits paid to the former president and CEO of the company between 2010 and 2018 “complied with the applicable legislation,” although they contained “several errors.”
Likewise, “certain expenses” made by Ghosn that are “source of concern” have been identified, since they are related to “questionable and hidden practices and to violations of ethical principles”, mainly in relation to relations with third parties, conflicts of interest and protection of corporate assets.