Jun 20, 2023 3:19 PM BST
Updated 27 minutes ago
Former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has reportedly sued the automaker for more than $1 billion.
The filing represents Mr Ghosn’s latest attempt to clear his name after he was ousted from the firm in 2018 and arrested in Japan on allegations of financial misconduct.
Mr Ghosn said the allegations were aimed at derailing his plans for a Nissan-Renault merger.
He fled Japan in a box while awaiting trial and now resides in Lebanon.
According to Bloomberg and Portal, the lawsuit, filed in Lebanon, alleges crimes including defamation and defamation against Nissan, two other companies and 12 people. A hearing is scheduled for September.
Nissan declined to comment.
The damages Mr. Ghosn is seeking represent more than 5% of the company’s roughly $16 billion market value.
Mr. Ghosn once ran the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, one of the largest automobile groups in the world.
According to his official biography, Ghosn was appointed CEO of French automaker Renault in 2005, becoming the first person to simultaneously head two global Fortune 500 companies.
Mr Ghosn says his quest for a full merger between Nissan and Renault led to his downfall and alarmed some who feared French influence over the Japanese automaker.
He was arrested in Japan in late 2018 on various charges, including allegations that he intentionally misreported his earnings and used company money to fund his own lifestyle.
Mr Ghosn has denied wrongdoing and called the Japanese judicial system “rigged”. He is currently unable to leave Lebanon as he is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice issued by Japan.
His escape from the country, in which he disguised himself to flee the streets of Tokyo unnoticed and was hidden in a large jukebox, made headlines around the world.
In 2021, an American father and son were extradited from the US and sentenced to prison in Japan for helping Mr Ghosn escape.
In 2022, French authorities issued an arrest warrant for Mr Ghosn after investigating whether he had diverted company funds for personal use. At the time, he said he was confident he would be able to prove his innocence should charges arise.
Lebanon, where Mr Ghosn spent part of his childhood, does not extradite its citizens.
In the filing, Mr Ghosn said the claims would “remain in people’s minds for years” and that he would “suffer from them for the rest of his life as they have lasting and lasting repercussions, even if based on mere suspicion,” according to Bloomberg reported.
Nissan and Renault, meanwhile, are working to finalize an agreement announced earlier this year aimed at rebalancing their partnership, which would reduce Renault’s voting power over Nissan.