Carlos Ghon's Escape to Lebanon: Massive Compensation Lawsuit Against Nissan and Others

Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan chairman who fled Japan while under investigation for allegations including underreporting his compensation, is currently residing in Lebanon, a Middle Eastern country, and has filed a massive damages lawsuit against Nissan and others.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Bloomberg and other sources on the 20th (local time), Ghosn filed a damages lawsuit against Nissan and related parties at a Lebanese court on the 18th of last month. The amount of damages sought exceeds $1 billion (approximately 1.28 trillion KRW).

In the complaint, Ghosn stated, "The serious and sensitive allegations against me will remain in people's minds for years," adding, "Although they are only suspicions, they will continue to have an impact, and because of this, I will suffer for life."

He demanded that Nissan compensate him for economic losses of $588 million (approximately 750 billion KRW) and punitive damages of $500 million (approximately 640 billion KRW).

According to the complaint, Ghosn described dozens of company executives and employees as instigators who each tried to expel him from the company, those who first carried out these actions, and those who cooperated with the Japanese prosecutors to avoid indictment.

The Lebanese prosecution plans to hold the first hearing of Ghosn's damages lawsuit in September.

Nissan stated that it has not yet formally received the complaint and therefore cannot comment on the lawsuit.

Ghosn was arrested by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's special investigation division in November 2018 on charges including violating the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act by underreporting his compensation, and was released on bail in March of the following year.

In December 2019, he escaped by hiding in a musical instrument case, boarding a privately rented aircraft, traveling from Osaka, Japan to Istanbul, Turkey, then transferring flights to Lebanon. Lebanon is where Ghosn spent his childhood and is a country that does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.