- Title: File of Nissan's former boss Carlos Ghosn who has left Japan
- Date: 30th December 2019
- Summary: Japan's Nissan Motor and France's Renault retooled the board structure of the world's largest car-making alliance, putting themselves as equals after the ouster of former boss Carlos Ghosn. They said the chairman of Renault would serve as the chairman of the alliance but - in a critical sign of the rebalancing - not as chairman of Nissan. It was not immediately clear who would take that job, vacant since Ghosn was arrested in November. The ouster of Ghosn, one of the world's most celebrated executives for his rescue of Nissan from near-bankruptcy in 1999, had caused much soul-searching about the future of the alliance. Nissan has said the executive wielded far too much power, creating a lack of oversight and corporate governance. TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE - MARCH 12, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF GHOSN COMING OUT OF LAWYER'S OFFICE AND GETTING MOBBED BY JOURNALISTS GHOSN GETTING INTO CAR Japanese prosecutors arrested Ghosn for a fourth time on April 4, over a new case of improper payments made by the automaker to a dealer in Oman under his watch. Prosecutors said Ghosn had caused Nissan Motor $5 million in losses over a two-and-a-half year period to July 2018, in breach of his legal duties to the company and with the goal of personal gain. TOKYO, JAPAN (RECENT - APRIL 4, 2019) (REUTERS) CARLOS GHOSN'S RESIDENCE, AFTER HE WAS RE-ARRESTED VARIOUS OF MEDIA AND POLICE OUTSIDE GHOSN'S RESIDENCE
- Embargoed: 13th January 2020 21:46
- Keywords: Carlos Ghosn Nissan Motor Renault file financial misconduct indicted results
- Location: TOKYO, YOKOHAMA, JAPAN / MAUBEUGE, PARIS, DIEPPE, FRANCE
- City: TOKYO, YOKOHAMA, JAPAN / MAUBEUGE, PARIS, DIEPPE, FRANCE
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA007BC6R9S7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THREE OF THE FOUR STILL PHOTOGRAPHS AT THE END OF THE ORIGINAL EDIT HAVE BEEN REMOVED DUE TO COPYRIGHT ISSUES. THE ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR WHICH CAN BE USED IS NOW IN SHOT NUMBER 36.
THE PHOTOS WHICH CANNOT BE USED ARE PHOTOS DATED MAY 23, 2019 IN THE ORIGINAL EDIT WHICH SHOW GHOSN ARRIVING AT THE TOKYO DISTRICT COURT AND ONE OF THE TWO PHOTOS FROM APRIL 25, 2019 OF GHOSN DEPARTING THE TOKYO DETENTION CENTRE.
PLEASE MAKE NO FURTHER USE OF THESE THREE PHOTOS AND ONLY USE THOSE IN THE REVISED EDIT.
Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn confirmed he fled to Lebanon on Monday (December 30), saying he wouldn't be "held hostage" by a "rigged" justice system and raising questions about how one of the world's most-recognized executives escaped Japan months before his trial.
It was not immediately clear how Ghosn, who holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship, was able to orchestrate his departure from Japan, given that he had been under strict surveillance by authorities while out on bail and had surrendered his passports.
Japanese immigration authorities had no record of Ghosn leaving the country, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said. A person resembling Ghosn entered Beirut international airport under a different name after flying in aboard a private jet, NHK reported, citing an unidentified Lebanese security official.
His lawyers were still in possession of his three passports, one of his lawyers, Junichiro Hironaka, told reporters in comments broadcast live by NHK.
On Nov. 19, 2018, Ghosn was arrested shortly after his private jet touched down at a Tokyo airport. He faces four charges - which he denies - including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to dealerships in the Middle East.
Nissan sacked Ghosn, saying its internal investigations revealed misconduct ranging from understating his salary while he was its chief executive, and transferring $5 million of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest.
Ghosn's lawyers have asked a court to dismiss all charges against him. They accuse prosecutors of colluding with government officials and Nissan executives to oust him to block any takeover of the automaker by French alliance partner Renault, of which Ghosn was also chairman.
After his arrest, Ghosn spent a long period in detention, but more recently was allowed out, subject to stringent bail conditions, which required him to stay in Japan.
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