Ex-Nissan chair Carlos Ghosn denies misconduct allegations
Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of car giant Nissan, who was arrested and detained last week over allegations he under-reported his remuneration, has reportedly denied the allegations made against him.
Ghosn, who was ousted from Nissan after his arrest following an internal company investigation, has not yet spoken out publicly.
According to reports by Japanese public broadcaster NHK, he has told investigators that he had no intention of under-reporting his remuneration on financial documents, and has denied the allegations made against him.
He was arrested alongside fellow Nissan board member Greg Kelly on Monday. Japanese prosecutors say the pair conspired to understate Ghosn’s remuneration by around half of the 10bn yen (£69m) he earned over five years from 2010.
On Tuesday, the board of Nissan partner firm Renault, where Ghosn is chairman and chief executive, voted not to remove him – choosing instead to elevate his deputy Thierry Bollore on a temporary basis while Ghosn undergoes questioning by Japanese authorities. Bollore has told shareholders he will aim to safeguard the company’s interests and its ties with Nissan.
France’s finance minister has called for Renault – which is 15 per cent owned by the French government – to remove Ghosn.
Mitsubishi, the third member of the partnership, said it intends to remove Ghosn from his position as chairman during a meeting set to be held this week.
Nissan’s chief executive officer Hiroto Saikawa has called for Ghosn’s expulsion, saying the Brazil-born businessman possessed “too much authority” while at the car manufacturer.
Kelly was quoted by NHK yesterday as defending Ghosn’s salary, saying it had been discussed with other officials and paid out in the proper fashion.
Ghosn joined Nissan in 1999, and became chief executive of Renault in 2005. He became a business superstar in Japan, credited with turning around Nissan’s ailing fortunes, and was instrumental in organising the partnership between Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi, which is now in question. The partnership’s leaders are expected to meet this week according to Japanese media.
He is currently being held in a detention centre in Tokyo, after Japanese prosecutors secured a 10-day extension of his custody on Wednesday.