21-6-2023 (TOKYO) Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the carmaker for more than $1bn in Lebanon, accusing Nissan, two other companies, and 12 people of defamation and libel. The filing is Mr Ghosn’s latest attempt to clear his name after he was ousted from the firm in 2018 and arrested in Japan on financial misconduct charges. He fled Japan in a box while awaiting trial and now resides in Lebanon.
Mr Ghosn has stated that the claims against him were aimed at derailing his plans for a merger between Nissan and Renault. The lawsuit seeks damages that represent more than 5% of the company’s roughly $16bn market value.
Mr Ghosn was once in charge of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, one of the largest car-making groups globally. Credited with reviving Nissan from near bankruptcy in the early 2000s, he was appointed CEO of French carmaker Renault in 2005, becoming the first person to run two global Fortune 500 companies simultaneously, according to his official biography.
Mr Ghosn says his pursuit of a full merger between Nissan and Renault led to his downfall, alarming some who feared French influence over the Japanese carmaker. He was arrested in Japan in late 2018 on several charges, including claims that he deliberately misreported his earnings and used company money to fund his lifestyle.
Mr Ghosn, who denied wrongdoing, called the Japanese justice system “rigged”. He is currently unable to leave Lebanon as he is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice issued by Japan. The lawsuit against Nissan, two other companies, and 12 people includes accusations of defamation and libel and is set to be heard in September.
In the filing, Mr 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.
Nissan and Renault have been working to finalize an agreement announced earlier this year aimed at “rebalancing” their partnership, which would reduce Renault’s voting power over Nissan.
