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Tokyo (AFP) – Nissan shareholders have decided on Monday to eliminate Carlos Ghosn from the board of directors, the former president detained the opponent of numerous charges of financial misconduct that have placed him in detention.
The extraordinary meeting of shareholders in a Tokyo hotel was the first meeting of its kind since the staggering arrest of the titan of the 65-year-old auto sector on November 19.
After several hours of questions from the shareholders, chaired by General Manager Hiroto Saikawa, they voted in favor of Ghosn's withdrawal, as well as Greg Kelly, an American leader who was Ghosn's right-hand man and who is also facing to prosecution in Japan.
They also approved a proposal to replace Mr Ghosn by Renault President Jean-Dominique Senard.
Nissan dismissed Ghosn as president almost immediately after his first arrest, but a special meeting of shareholders was required to remove him.
Saikawa opened the meeting with a speech exposing the charges against his former mentor, accusing him of misusing funds and seeking to conceal his compensation.
He and other leaders bow deeply to the thousands of shareholders present at the opening of the meeting.
"We have to admit that the governance of our company was a big problem," he said, adding that he had been "extremely shocked when I learned the offending behavior."
Nearly 4,200 shareholders attended the meeting, many of them taking the risk of a question-and-answer session to criticize Ghosn, but also expressed concerns about how the scandal had taken place.
"The Nissan government is not working well, I really regret it," AFP quoted 77-year-old shareholder Isamu Beppu as saying at AFP.
"If there is no reconstruction of its governance, there will be no recovery," he added.
Ghosn faces three separate charges. The first two relate to the alleged deferral of revenues of about $ 80 million and their concealment in official shareholder documents.
The third, more complex, charge is that he attempted to transfer personal losses to Nissan and paid a Saudi contact who provided him with a guarantee from the company's funds.
Last week, prosecutors again arrested Ghosn, released on bail, for transferring Nissan's money to a dealer in Oman, while diverting millions of dollars for his own expenses, including the purchase of a luxury yacht.
Prosecutors estimate that Mr. Ghosn has moved Nissan funds of a total amount of $ 15 million between the end of 2015 and the middle of 2018 and has used $ 5 million for his own purposes.
On Friday, the Tokyo District Court ruled that prosecutors could have until at least April 14 to question Ghosn, who denies any wrongdoing.
This period may be extended by 10 additional days if the court allows it. It is therefore unlikely that Ghosn will be released soon.
Ghosn's wife, Carole, who was living with him in Tokyo while he was on bail, told a newspaper this weekend that she had fled Japan with the help of the ambassador of France because she "felt in danger" after the re-arrest of her husband.
The Japanese prosecutors would have wanted to question him voluntarily and look into the allegations that Ghosn allegedly sent suspicious funds through a company run by his wife.
– "It's a conspiracy" –
Ghosn 's rearguard Thursday came less than a month after he was released on bail and $ 9 million bail for his release.
He had kept his lips tight during his bail period and was subject to restrictions regarding his contacts with other people related to the case and his online communications. It was also forbidden to leave the country.
Just before his arrest, Ghosn appeared on Twitter to announce a press conference for April 11 – which will not happen today without further surprise.
His lawyers are scheduled to hold a briefing on Tuesday and play a video recorded by Ghosn before his last arrest.
Shortly before his arrest, Ghosn also gave a combative interview to the French TV channel TF1, where he again denounced his fall as a "conspiracy" Nissan and feared not to benefit from a fair trial.
"It's obvious that it's a conspiracy," said Ghosn, adding, "Everything must be on the table, of course, I have names."
"Some have been seen in the press, but others have not been," he said.
He explained that his loss was orchestrated by people fearing a closer integration between Nissan and its French partner Renault.
The other reason for the "conspiracy" was "the deterioration of Nissan's performance for two years," he said.
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