8:39 am, June 21, 2023
Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn is reportedly seeking more than $1bn (£785m) from the Japanese carmaker in a lawsuit.
Once considered to be one of the car industry’s most powerful men, Ghosn is trying to clear his name and is suing Nissan, two other companies and 12 individuals for crimes including fabrication of material evidence, slander and libel.
The lawsuit has been filed in Lebanon, according to Reuters, and a hearing is set for September.
The 69-year-old industry tycoon was arrested in Japan in late 2018 on a variety of charges, including claims he misreported earnings and used the company’s money to pay for his lifestyle while at the helm of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Alliance.
He has always denied wrongdoing and was reported as calling the Japanese justice system as ‘rigged’.
While awaiting trial, Ghosn famously fled Japan to Lebanon in a box meant for music equipment, in December 2019.
Ghosn has remained in Lebanon ever since.
In 2021, a father and son were jailed over helping him escape, while Ghosn was also ordered to pay millions after he lost a wrongful dismissal claim.
Last year, an international arrest warrant for Ghosn was issued by French prosecutors.
