Former Nissan Motor Co chief Carlos Ghosn is seeking court permission to attend a board meeting at the Japanese automaker while out on bail, his lawyer told reporters yesterday.
“[Ghosn] has a duty to attend the board meeting as a member of the board, so if he is allowed, he wants to attend,” Junichiro Hironaka said in comments carried on Japan’s NTV television station.
Nissan is scheduled to hold a board meeting tomorrow afternoon at the company’s headquarters in the city of Yokohama.
The firm said it could not confirm that Ghosn was seeking to attend the meeting, but that it would be “for the court to decide” whether its former chief could be present.
Nissan removed Ghosn as chief shortly after his shock Nov. 19 arrest, but he cannot be officially removed from his seat on the board without a shareholder meeting.
The company has scheduled one for April 8, but Ghosn retains the right to attend board meetings until then.
However, Ghosn must also obtain the court’s approval, which could prove challenging given the stringent measures that govern his release on bail. Under the terms of his release, he is forbidden from contacting people who could be involved in his case, including Nissan executives likely to attend board meetings, such as CEO Hiroto Saikawa.
Ghosn, who paid nearly US$9 million in bail money, must also live in a residence that is monitored from the outside by cameras and can only access a computer not connected to the Internet at his lawyer’s office.
The 65-year-old was released on bail on Wednesday last week after more than 100 days in detention.
He faces three charges of financial misconduct over allegations that he under-reported his compensation and sought to transfer personal losses to Nissan’s books.
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