Carlos Ghosn, the previous CEO of Nissan-Renault, whose case has been a large scandal for the Japanese justice system, continues to make the international news as his legal battle has branched out with him suing Nissan and now Renault suing him.
The French-Brazilian-Lebanese businessman has been in the news multiple times for his escape from Japanese authorities and the mystery that surrounded it, which has since been documented in a book by two French authors.
That’s in addition to Ghosn working with the legendary agent Michael Ovitz in the process of closing deals with movie studios that might be eager to transform his story into TV production.
Ghosn has recently launched a legal counter-attack against his former company Nissan, which he’s suing for millions of Euros as part of a wrongful dismissal suit.
His sour relationship with the companies he used to run doesn’t stop there. French car giant Renault has recently announced on February 24th that they are filing a claim against Ghosn over alleged financial misconduct.
They said in a statement, “Renault has filed a legal action to assert its rights,” and added that they reserved the right “to solicit damages with interest” from an investigation into the financial misconduct.
This came after Ghosn and his lawyers had delayed a lawsuit against the company to demand a $270,000 retirement payout, which Renault refuses to pay as he was forced out of the company after his arrest by Japanese authorities in 2018.
Ghosn has attracted the sympathy of the public in many parts of the world. They believe he was wrongfully and illegally detained by the Japanese authorities.
Many see that his treatment by the justice system in Japan has driven him to find any way he can to flee from the country.
However, some hold reservations against Ghosn, as they believe he might not be as innocent as he likes to depict himself.
As the NY Times had opined, “The charges against Mr. Ghosn — and his against Japan’s courts — deserve a closer look.
There is no question that he functioned at the margins of the law. In September, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged that he and a colleague had concealed $140 million in payments from Nissan.”
However, they give credence to the idea that Ghosn may have been targeted because of a power struggle within the company.
They added: “And it is no secret that there was a power struggle at the top of Nissan, that the Japanese executive who would later become Nissan’s chief executive, Hiroto Saikawa, wanted Mr. Ghosn out.”
