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French prosecutors have issued a global arrest warrant for disgraced auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn, who fled Japan in 2019 for Lebanon in a gripping escape
PARIS — French prosecutors have issued a global arrest warrant for disgraced auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn, who fled Japan in 2019 for Lebanon in a gripping escape.
The prosecutor’s workplace within the Paris suburb of Nanterre stated Friday that it issued the warrant for the previous head of Nissan and Renault and 4 different folks based mostly on an investigation opened in 2019 into cash laundering and abuse of firm property.
Prosecutors are investigating hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in alleged suspect funds made between the Renault-Nissan alliance and Suhail Bahwan Vehicles (SBA), a automobile distributor firm in Oman.
The previous head of the Nissan-Renault alliance fled to Lebanon in 2019, whereas out on bail going through monetary misconduct expenses in Japan. He denies wrongdoing.
Ghosn stated he discovered in regards to the new warrant Friday through the media, and famous that he is barred from leaving Lebanon anyway.
“I am able to defend myself,” he instructed France’s BFM tv. He repeatedly insisted that he didn’t obtain any cash from the Oman distributor and that there was “no embezzling.”
Later Friday, Ghosn instructed Lebanese TV station Al-Jadeed that he questioned the timing of the arrest warrant and added that he had deliberate a very long time in the past to retire in Lebanon.
“The timing is stunning. A warrant like that’s issued two days earlier than the (French) presidential election?” Ghosn stated. “This makes us a bit suspicious. There’s unhealthy odor.”
Requested whether or not he would possibly set off a disaster between France and Lebanon, Ghosn stated: “I don’t assume so. I believe there needs to be an understanding between the 2 nations.”
He stated French and Japanese judicial authorities ought to cooperate with Lebanese authorities and ship the circumstances to Beirut and judicial authorities in Lebanon can see if there was any wrongdoing. He stated in any other case there will probably be trial in France in his absence.
The Nanterre prosecutors’ workplace described this warrant as the following step within the ongoing investigation, certainly one of two separate circumstances involving Ghosn in France.
In an interview final yr with The Related Press, Ghosn was assured, energized and decided to combat to revive his popularity.
A press release despatched Friday to the AP from his PR workforce known as the French warrant “stunning,” and steered that it was ineffective as Ghosn “is topic to a judicial ban on leaving Lebanese territory.”
Lebanon doesn’t extradite its residents. Ghosn has citizenship in Lebanon, France and Brazil.
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