French investigating judges will question fallen car magnate Carlos Ghosn in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Monday. He is accused of misusing money from car group Renault for personal purposes, including an expensive birthday party for his wife.
Ghosn is the former CEO of Renault and the former CEO of the Nissan and Mitsubishi companies. He has lived in Beirut since his spectacular escape from Japan in late 2019, where he was detained on suspicion of fraud. He is being questioned by French investigating judges at the Palace of Justice in Beirut. They would stay in Lebanon for a week.
The 67-year-old Ghosn is accused of, among other things, misusing Renault money for expensive parties at the Palace of Versailles, such as a wedding and birthday party for his wife and also the purchase of a private yacht with company assets. Ghosn’s lawyers say there are irregularities in the French authorities’ investigation. Furthermore, Ghosn denies all allegations of financial misuse of company funds.
There are dozens of lawsuits around Ghosn worldwide. The Japanese authorities suspect him of financial malpractice, including false statements about his salary and private use of company funds. After his arrest in Japan in 2018, he resigned from the car manufacturers, where he held sway.
In December 2019, he then managed to escape from Japan, where he was under house arrest. He bypassed security at his home and flew a private plane to Istanbul, allegedly hiding in a box for sound equipment. From Turkey, he flew to Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn has French, Brazilian and Lebanese nationality.