Carlos Ghosn,Former Nissan chairman
Carlos Ghosn, once a titan of the global car industry, was arrested in Japan in late 2018 and charged with financial misconduct. He denied the charge and said his detention was part of a plot by Nissan executives to block a merger
Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has sued the company for more than $1 billion in a lawsuit filed to Lebanon’s public prosecutor last month, according to a copy of the lawsuit seen by Reuters.
The lawsuit filed on May 18 accuses Nissan along with two other companies and 12 named individuals of crimes including defamation, slander, libel and the fabrication of material evidence.
Ghosn, once a titan of the global car industry, was arrested in Japan in late 2018 and charged with financial misconduct. He denied the charge and said his detention was part of a plot by Nissan executives to block a merger.
He escaped Japan hidden in a box aboard a private jet in December 2019, fleeing to Lebanon, his childhood home.
Ghosn had been awaiting trial in Japan on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds – accusations he has denied repeatedly.
After arriving in Lebanon Ghosn said he was escaping a “rigged” justice system in Japan and that he intended to clear his name.
Ghosn’s lawsuit seeks $588 million in lost remuneration, and another $500 million in moral damage.
“What I am asking for is only a little compensation compared to what they’ve done to me,” the 69-year-old, wearing a blue open-necked shirt, said during an interview in Beirut.
‘HAVE TO PAY’
Asked whether he would expand his legal action to include Renault (RENA.PA), part of the alliance with Nissan which he masterminded, Ghosn said his focus was currently on Nissan.
“I’m not precluding anything for the future. Today we are concentrating on the Nissan plot,” he said.
If found guilty, Nissan “will have to pay”, Ghosn said.
“It’s a large company and they have assets everywhere and you can go after their assets anywhere, so this is not a joke,” he said. “I hope they are going to provision this amount of money and I hope they are going to talk to their shareholders about what is happening and why this is happening,” he said.
Ghosn, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenships, said he has not left Lebanon since 2019 because of an Interpol Red Notice issued by Japan.
“I’m stuck here. I cannot make a complaint of this size in another country,” he said, adding that putting his case together had taken his legal team time as they reconstituted the facts.
Ghosn said documents had been taken from his home in Lebanon under false pretences on the day of his arrest in Japan and shared with Japanese authorities.
His lawsuit alleges that “the sanctity of a residence” had been violated and says crimes were committed in Lebanon, Japan, France, Brazil, the United States and the Netherlands.
“I have the intention get my rights back, to repair my reputation,” he said. “I am going to dedicate all the time necessary for the truth to prevail.”
A judicial source said the prosecutor has a scheduled a court session on Sept. 18 to begin proceedings.
A spokesperson for Nissan said the company will not be commenting on the matter.
Reuters