Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, has filed a lawsuit against the carmaker he once ran and about another dozen individuals in Beirut, Lebanon, over his imprisonment in Japan, for over $1 billion.
Ghosn filed a lawsuit with the Beirut prosecutor’s office to stop what he says was misinformation spread against him, in his latest effort to clear his name, according to Lebanese officials on June 20.The former Nissan boss was fired by the Japanese auto manufacturer in 2018 and arrested in Japan on financial misconduct charges.
Ghosn alleged that the charges were in fact aimed at derailing his plans for a merger between Nissan and Renault.
The multilingual international former executive made world headlines by fleeing Japan in a daring escape after he was smuggled out in an audio-equipment box and onto a private jet while awaiting trial in Tokyo.Former Car Titan Sues Those He Blames for His Downfall
The lawsuit, which was filed in Lebanon in May, accuses Nissan, two other firms, and 12 individuals of defamation and criminal libel, reported Bloomberg and Reuters.“We have a long battle in front of us. We are going to fight it to the end,” Ghosn told Reuters during an interview in Beirut.
The 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,” he said.According to Judge Sabbouh Suleiman, of the Beirut’s prosecutor’s office, the Associated Press was told that a hearing date has been scheduled for Sept. 18.
Lebanese court officials said that Nissan and the accused individuals, who are employees at the car firm, were expected to send representatives to Beirut or appoint a local attorney to represent them.
Now a wanted international fugitive, Ghosn lives in Lebanon, since the country does not extradite its citizens.
Ghosn has citizenship in Lebanon, France, and Brazil. He is of Lebanese descent and spent some of his childhood there.Ex-Nissan Boss Accused of Fraud and Misappropriation of Funds
Ghosn once ran the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, one of the biggest car-making organizations in the world.
He has been credited with saving Nissan from nearing bankruptcy in the early 2000s and was appointed the CEO of French carmaker Renault in 2005.
According to his official biography, Ghosn was the first executive to run two global Fortune 500 companies simultaneously.
However, Ghosn claimed that his push for a full merger between Nissan and Renault led to the charges against him because it alarmed some in Japan that France would have too much influence over the Japanese carmaker.
Ghosn has denied any wrongdoing, and he called the Japanese justice system “rigged” and was part of a plot against him by Nissan executives to prevent closer integration with its French partner.He was arrested by Japanese authorities in November 2018, among several charges, for allegedly underreporting earnings, violating breach of trust, and misappropriating company funds to pay for his lifestyle.
Tokyo prosecutors have called Ghosn’s allegations of a conspiracy false.
The former CEO fled Japan in December 2019 after posting bail as he awaited trial, and said that he was forced to flee the country because he would not receive a fair trial.
Ghosn fled the country by disguising himself in the streets of Tokyo, before hiding himself in a large music equipment box that moved onto a plane that was flying to Lebanon.
In 2021, two Americans were extradited from the United States and sentenced to prison in Japan for assisting Ghosn in his escape.
French authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Ghosn, in April 2022, for tax evasion, alleged money laundering, fraud, and diverting company funds for personal use.
Paris is also investigating him over suspect payments between the Renault-Nissan automaker alliance and its dealer in Oman.Ghosn has said he was confident he could prove his innocence and that he would eventually clear his name.
He is still unable to leave Lebanon, since he is the subject of Interpol Red Notices issued by Japan and France.Fugitive Executives Promises to Clear His Name
In the filing, Ghosn said the claims would “linger in people’s minds for years” and that he would “suffer from them for the remainder of his life, as they have persistent and lingering impacts, even if based on mere suspicion,” Bloomberg reported.
Ghosn alleged that documents were illegally taken from his home in Lebanon under false pretenses on the day of his arrest and shared with Japanese authorities.If found guilty, Nissan “will have to pay,” Ghosn told Reuters.
“It’s a large company, and they have assets everywhere. and you can go after their assets anywhere, so this is not a joke,” said Ghosn.
“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 continued.
“I have the intention get my rights back, to repair my reputation,” he said, and added that he would “dedicate all the time necessary for the truth to prevail.”Meanwhile, Renault and Nissan have since been distancing themselves from the Ghosn scandal.
The two firms have been working to finalize an agreement this year that would rebalance their partnership and reduce Renault’s voting power over its Japanese partner.
A Nissan spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the company will not be commenting.
