Topline
A year and a half after his escape from Japan made headlines, one of the world’s most famous fugitives, Carlos Ghosn, told the Wall Street Journal Monday he is ready to speak with investigators from France, as the former head of Nissan Renault faces legal trouble from across the globe.
Former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn holds a press conference at the Maronite Christian … [+]
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Key Facts
Ghosn, who has been in Beirut since his January 2020 escape from Tokyo house arrest, told the Journal he is “looking forward” to meeting with French investigators, saying he agreed to speak with them voluntarily.
France is investigating two parties thrown by Ghosn at the Palace of Versailles, and whether he abused his position as Renault CEO to misappropriate company cash to fund the events, along with allegations Ghosn funneled millions of dollars through Renault and a car dealership in Oman.
He denies misusing company funds, calling the Versailles parties a public relations problem and not a legal one, and said payments he made to a distributor in Oman were legitimate, according to the newspaper.
The French investigations are just one side of the legal problems Ghosn is facing: Last week, a Dutch court threw out a lawsuit Ghosn filed against Nissan-Mitsubishi for wrongful termination in 2018 and ordered Ghosn to repay the nearly $6 million salary he received that year.
Ghosn is also fighting to stay in the pink Bierut mansion he has called home for the past year and a half: Ghosn argues it was given to him by Nissan as part of a retirement package, but Nissan claims the company still owns the property.
Despite facing more than two dozen probes and legal cases since leaving Japan, he doesn’t regret his escape: “I lost my other life, but I gained my freedom,” he told the Journal.
Key Background
Ghosn’s legal problems started in 2018, when he was arrested in Japan over allegations of financial misconduct, including underreporting his income. He has continuously denied the allegations since his 2018 arrest, and says he is the victim of a conspiracy between Japanese prosecutors and Nissan officials to prevent a merger with Renault. During the final days of 2019, Ghosn shocked the world when he escaped house arrest in Tokyo, by reportedly hiding in a case for musical instruments. He later said he felt he would not receive a fair trial in Japan. “I did not escape justice, I escaped injustice and political persecution,” Ghosn said at a press conference shortly after his escape.
Further Reading
Carlos Ghosn, Stuck in Beirut, Says He’s Ready for Questioning by French Investigators (Wall Street Journal)