Nissan is still going after ousted former CEO Carlos Ghosn

(Image source: BBC TopGear)

Though it has been four years since ousted Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn orchestrated his great escape whilst under house arrest in Japan, the automaker hasn’t stopped in its quest to seek justice from said French-Lebanese former executive in chief.

Reports have surfaced indicating that Nissan has upped its damages claim against both Ghosn and Greg Kelly, Nissan’s former American director Gohsn’s advisor, in Japanese civil court. In fact, Japanese prosecutors are reportedly seeking up to US$108 million (approx. RM485.78 million) from both.

Prosecutors are also accusing Kelly of being an accomplice in assisting Ghosn in hiding up to US$80.5 million (approx. RM362.09 million) in pay from 2010 to 2018. Naturally, both men have denied these allegations.

The increase in damages that Nissan is seeking reportedly stems from a class-action lawsuit brought against Nissan and several former executives by its US shareholders, with the latter claiming they were misled by Ghosn’s compensation.

Ghosn’s supporters believe that Nissan opted to settle following evidence supporting the exoneration of both Ghosn and Kelly that surfaced during court proceedings. Nissan had initially settled for $36 million (approx. RM161.93 million) before lumping those costs into the increased damages claim.

Besides that, Ghosn, who’s currently exiled and hiding in Lebanon, has an arrest warrant issued by the French government. This stems from allegations that he diverted millions of Euros from Renault for his benefit during his tenure as its chairman. The exact amount alleged by the French government remains unclear but his difficulties since his famed escape has.

And though Nissan adamantly insists that it wants to move on from the scandal, its recent actions suggest otherwise. Said automaker still seeks justice to be served upon Ghosn and alleged accomplice Kelly, but the firm’s drive towards this – either solely for financial compensation or public embarrassment – remains uncertain.

Presently, Ghosn remains in hiding and away from the reaches of Interpol in Lebanon thanks to the latter half of his dual French-Lebanese citizenship. His escape from house arrest in Japan back in December 2019 involved an elaborate scheme to smuggle himself out of his police guarded home in a modified musical instrument box that was transported by bullet train and private jet.