Ghosn maintains his innocence and claims that all his expenses were legitimate, approved, and disclosed.
Settlements, lawsuits, arrests, and international intrigue
Ghosn was arrested in 2018 by the Tokyo special investigation squad. He was charged with underreporting his income in Nissan’s securities reports. In December 2019, while out on bail, he made a daring escape to Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan.
In February, Nissan filed a lawsuit with the Yokohama District Court in Japan against Ghosn, demanding he pay damages for alleged misappropriation and misuse of company funds.
Ghosn claims the charges are the result of a conspiracy by two top Nissan executives to block his plans for a merger with Renault the French automaker. He insists he left Japan because he would not get a fair trial there.
The two executives that Ghosn alleges concocted the charges against him and replaced him in his role as CEO have themselves stepped down at Nissan amid accusations of paying themselves excess compensation.
