Former auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn has filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Nissan and several individuals in Beirut, Lebanon, alleging defamation and the fabrication of charges that led to his imprisonment in Japan.
The lawsuit, filed last month, accuses Nissan and the individuals of spreading misinformation against Ghosn. The identities of the accused individuals have not been disclosed. The case has been assigned a hearing date in September, according to Judge Sabbouh Suleiman from Beirut’s prosecutor’s office.
Ghosn, who served as the head of Nissan and Renault for two decades, was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on charges of breach of trust, misusing company assets, and violating securities laws. Maintaining his innocence, Ghosn managed to escape Japan in December 2019, evading bail conditions, and eventually finding refuge in Lebanon, a country that does not extradite its citizens and where Ghosn holds citizenship.
While in Lebanon, Ghosn has faced multiple arrest warrants issued by Interpol based on requests from Japan and France. In France, he faces charges of tax evasion, money laundering, fraud, and misuse of company assets during his tenure at the Renault-Nissan alliance. However, Lebanon’s lack of an extradition treaty with Japan and its refusal to extradite its citizens have allowed Ghosn to remain in the country.
Lebanese officials have revealed that a hearing for the lawsuit has been scheduled, and they expect Nissan and the accused individuals to either send representatives to Beirut or appoint a Lebanese lawyer to represent them. Meanwhile, Renault and Nissan have distanced themselves from the Ghosn scandal.
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