French investigators issued international arrest warrants for former Nissan Motor Co chairman Carlos Ghosn and four others who allegedly helped him siphon millions of euros from partner Renault SA.
One of the warrants targets billionaire Suhail Bahwan, who owns a vehicle distributor in Oman that prosecutors suspect was used to funnel Renault funds for Ghosn’s personal use, French prosecutors said.
The other warrants are against two of Bahwan’s sons and the former general manager of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles.
Photo: Reuters
The warrants were issued on Thursday afternoon, prosecutors said.
The one targeting Ghosn concerns a wide spectrum of allegations ranging from his interactions with the Omani car distributor to corporate spending on various events and trips that might have been personal.
Since Ghosn’s dramatic escape from Japan to Lebanon in late 2019, his main legal risks have largely shifted to France, where he is suspected of using Renault’s funds to pay for a yacht and his wife’s birthday celebration at the Palace of Versailles.
The charges come after French investigators traveled to Beirut last year to question Ghosn and issued a summons for him to face possible charges in France.
Japan also has an arrest warrant for Ghosn, but the former auto titan is a Lebanese national and the country does not extradite its citizens. He also has citizenship in France and Brazil. In Japan, Ghosn was facing charges of financial misconduct.
Jean Tamalet, a lawyer for the former Renault boss called the French arrest warrant “surprising,” saying that his client is forbidden by Lebanese authorities from leaving the country.
“Carlos Ghosn has always cooperated with French judicial officials,” Tamalet said.
Ghosn has previously denied the French allegations.
Ghosn was in favor of being charged in the French investigation, but legal complexities prevented that from taking place in Lebanon. An arrest warrant prevents him from providing input, whereas charges would have allowed his defense team to access evidence, lodge procedural challenges and petition for certain witnesses to be heard.
Tamalet suggested that the probe against his client could be used politically, as French voters are preparing for an election on Sunday.
“Hats off to the timing of the prosecution for the issuance of the arrest warrant and its broadcasting via the Anglo-Saxon press,” Tamalet said.
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