Current:Home > StocksHearings in $1 billion lawsuit filed by auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn against Nissan starts in Beirut-LoTradeCoin
Hearings in $1 billion lawsuit filed by auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn against Nissan starts in Beirut
View Date:2024-12-23 20:34:37
BEIRUT (AP) — Hearings in the $1 billion lawsuit filed by auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn against Nissan and other defendants started in Beirut on Monday with lawyers of both sides meeting the judge in charge of the case, judicial officials said.
The former Nissan CEO filed the case against Nissan in May in Beirut, alleging he was detained in Japan in 2018 on false charges because of what he calls the automaker’s disinformation against him. The 69-year-old Ghosn is seeking half of the $1 billion in damages and half for compensation including salary, retirement funds and stock options.
Ghosn is also seeking monetary compensation from a Nissan affiliate based in Lebanon, as well as from entities that took part in the investigation leading up to his arrest.
He was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on charges of breach of trust, misusing company assets for personal gains and violating securities laws by not fully disclosing his compensation. In December 2019, he jumped bail in Japan in a daring escape by hiding in a box spirited aboard a private jet out of the country.
He now lives in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan and does not extradite its citizens. Renault and Nissan have both been distancing themselves from the Ghosn scandal. Ghosn has citizenship in Lebanon, France and Brazil.
In a session that lasted about four hours at the Palace of Justice in Beirut, lawyers representing Ghosn and Nissan met with Judge Sabbouh Suleiman at the Beirut prosecutor’s office, the officials said on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. None of the lawyers or the judge spoke to reporters.
A date was expected to be set for the next session.
Ghosn led Japanese automaker Nissan for two decades, rescuing it from near-bankruptcy before his 2018 arrest.
He is now wanted in Japan and France. Since he fled to Lebanon, Beirut has received three notices from Interpol based on arrest warrants for him from those countries. In France, he is facing a number of legal challenges, including tax evasion and alleged money laundering, fraud and misuse of company assets while at the helm of the Renault-Nissan alliance.
The office of Ghosn’s lawyer declined to comment on the case when contacted by The Associated Press.
Ghosn claims to be the victim of a character assassination campaign led by Nissan with the complicity of the Japanese government, aided by accomplices in France.
veryGood! (325)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Take the Day Off
- The Token Revolution of DB Wealth Institute: Launching DBW Token to Fund and Enhance 'AI Financial Navigator 4.0' Investment System
- Sale of US Steel kicks up a political storm, but Pittsburgh isn’t Steeltown USA anymore
- Sale of US Steel kicks up a political storm, but Pittsburgh isn’t Steeltown USA anymore
- Alexandra Daddario shares first postpartum photo of baby: 'Women's bodies are amazing'
- Montana’s High Court Considers a Constitutional Right to a Stable Climate
- Firefighting pilot killed in small plane crash in Montana
- Top 3 candidates to replace Gregg Berhalter as US coach after firing
- Mike Tyson employs two trainers who 'work like a dream team' as Jake Paul fight nears
- AP PHOTOS: Scenes from Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ shooting trial
Ranking
- Rōki Sasaki is coming to MLB: Dodgers the favorite to sign Japanese ace for cheap?
- A Turning Point in Financial Innovation: The Ascent of DB Wealth Institute
- Uruguay players and Colombia fans fight in stands after Copa America semifinal
- Sen. Bob Menendez bribery case one step closer to jury deliberations as closing arguments wrap up
- Taylor Swift's Mom Andrea Gives Sweet Nod to Travis Kelce at Chiefs Game
- Mirage Casino closing this month, but it has $1.6 million in prizes to pay out first
- Pete Davidson and Madelyn Cline Break Up After Less Than a Year of Dating
- DBW Token: Elevating AI Financial Navigator 4.0 to New Heights
Recommendation
-
Trump's election has women swearing off sex with men. It's called the 4B movement.
-
John Mulaney and Olivia Munn marry in a ceremony officiated by Sam Waterston
-
Women charged with killing sugar daddy, cutting off his thumb to keep access to his accounts
-
Sequel to Kevin Costner-led 'Horizon: An American Saga' has been canceled: Reports
-
Caitlin Clark's gold Nike golf shoes turn heads at The Annika LPGA pro-am
-
Darwin Núñez, Uruguay teammates enter stands as fans fight after Copa America loss to Colombia
-
Peter Welch becomes first Senate Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw from presidential race
-
Gun and ammunition evidence is the focus as Alec Baldwin trial starts second day