(Nanterre) French justice has issued an international arrest warrant against Carlos Ghosn, former boss of the Renault Nissan alliance who lives in Lebanon, as part of an investigation for misuse of corporate assets, money laundering and corruption.
Posted at 11:38 a.m.
The 68-year-old Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian, who was to be tried in Tokyo for financial embezzlement, has lived in Beirut since his incredible flight from Japan at the end of 2019.
This international arrest warrant issued Thursday, which is worth indictment, is a strong message sent to the Lebanese authorities who do not extradite their nationals and have banned Mr. Ghosn from traveling.
If the warrant is executed, he will be directly presented to an examining magistrate, in Nanterre, near Paris, who will notify him of his indictment.
In the viewfinder: nearly 15 million euros in payments considered suspicious between RNBV, the Dutch subsidiary embodying the Renault-Nissan alliance, and the distributor of the car manufacturer in Oman, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA).
The investigating judge also issued four other international arrest warrants against “the current owners or former managers of the Omani company SBA”, the Nanterre prosecution told AFP.
They are the founder of SBA, his two sons and the current managing director, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Justice accuses them of acts of money laundering or corruption.
The judicial investigation, opened against X in February 2020, in particular for abuse of corporate assets and money laundering, was indeed extended in July to the head of “corruption”.
“Major milestone”
The Renault group, a civil party in this case and which had never expressed itself until now, “takes note of the decision of the magistrates”, indicated to AFP its lawyer Mand Kami Hari.
“This is a major step which can be explained by the seriousness of the new facts which have been brought to light following meticulous investigations bringing to light hidden financial relations involving several million euros between Carlos Ghosn and the founders and SBA leaders,” he added.
In this case, justice also suspects Carlos Ghosn of having personally benefited from a sponsorship agreement between Renault and the establishment which manages the Château de Versailles, near Paris, by organizing two private parties there, which he disputes.
“This is not an arrest warrant issued by France, but by […] the Nanterre public prosecutor’s office,” reacted to AFP one of Mr. Ghosn’s lawyers, Jean Tamalet, from King and Spalding.
“This mandate is very surprising, because the investigating judge and the Nanterre prosecutor know perfectly well that Carlos Ghosn, who has always cooperated with justice, is subject to a judicial ban on leaving Lebanese territory,” added Mand Tamalet.
For his part, the founder of the Omani company SBA, Suhail Bahwan, “formally denies having taken part, in any way whatsoever, in the offenses covered by the arrest warrant” issued against him by the Nanterre court, told AFP his lawyer, Mr.and Christopher Ingrain.
“(Mr. Bahwan) has already submitted evidence demonstrating his innocence, and he is at the full disposal of French justice,” added Ms.and Ingrain.
Targeted by an arrest warrant from Interpol, the former car tycoon has been forced to stay in Lebanon since he fled Japan, hidden in a box of audio equipment.
” Stab ”
Revered in Lebanon as a business giant, Carlos Ghosn lectures at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), near Beirut. He remains discreet, however, refraining from commenting on the troubled political and economic life of the country.
Arrested in Tokyo in November 2018, he justified his escape by claiming to have wanted to “escape injustice”, denouncing a “plot” by the Japanese authorities.
In an interview with the French daily Le Parisien in February, he said he wanted to return to France as soon as he “could”. “For the moment, I cannot” because of the Interpol arrest warrant, declared Carlos Ghosn, underlining his attachment to France.
He had also denounced the “deadly stab carried by the French government and the board of directors of Renault”.
On Friday, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire declined to comment, calling for “let justice do its job”.
To carry out their investigations, magistrates had already traveled twice to Beirut.