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REPORT – In this photo of October 6, 2017, Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Groupe Renault, listens during a press conference in the business district of La Défense, in the suburbs of Paris. The automaker Renault has alerted the French authorities on a gift from the Palace of Versailles in the amount of 50,000 euros to its former president and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, who would be bound to his lavish wedding. The French newspaper Le Figaro announced that the castle had allowed Ghosn to organize its wedding reception on its grounds in exchange for Renault's philanthropic activities aimed at supporting the estate of Versailles, resplendent with the last kings of France .
Michel Euler / AP
PARIS – The automaker Renault has alerted the French authorities on a gift from the Palace of Versailles of an amount of 50,000 euros to its former president and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, who would be related to his lavish wedding at the royal estate.
Renault said Thursday in a statement that a company investigation had revealed that Mr Ghosn had personally benefited from an "exchange of 50,000 euros under a philanthropic agreement" with Versailles. Renault said it was alerting the French judicial authorities.
Jean-Yves Le Borgne, Ghosn's French lawyer, said Ghosn had paid for his wedding expenses, but he used the space without knowing that there might be charges.
"The event space in Versailles was available for free, and Mr. Ghosn was not aware that its use would be questioned by the use attributed by Renault," he said in a statement.
Ghosn will reimburse the rental to Versailles, announced its spokesman, Devon Spurgeon.
Renault began investigating Ghosn's past activities following his arrest in November in Tokyo, where he was accused of falsifying financial reports and breach of trust. Ghosn – one of the most influential executives of the global auto industry – denies having committed wrongdoings.
The French newspaper Le Figaro announced that Versailles had authorized Ghosn to organize its 2016 wedding reception on its property in exchange for donations from Renault to the castle, resplendent with the home of the last kings of France.
The castle said that Renault had given him 2.3 million euros to finance renovations as part of a philanthropic operation of 2016; in exchange, Renault could claim the castle up to 25% of the total amount of donations.
As part of this arrangement, Renault has requested permission to rent a space in the Grand Trianon Manor located on the Versailles grounds for a "dinner" on October 8, 2016, the castle announced in a statement. He estimated that the lease was worth 50,000 euros.
The officials at Versailles did not want to know if Ghosn himself had asked for it, nor to confirm that the dinner was actually his wedding reception.
Officials from various French prosecutors who may investigate the case said Thursday they have not yet received any information from Renault about the gift.
At the same time, a Renault official announced that this company and Nissan are also conducting a joint investigation into Ghosn's activities as head of the alliance uniting them, Renault-Nissan BV, based in the Netherlands. .
Ghosn led Renault and Nissan and supported their alliance, which has become the world's best-selling car manufacturer. He is facing a staggering downfall since his arrest.
Initially, Renault stood with Ghosn, but last month he appointed a new CEO and a president to replace him while his trial continues in Japan.
The Japanese case includes suspicions that Ghosn under-reported his income as Nissan's president and falsified his financial reports. Ghosn said colleagues opposed to closer ties between Nissan and Renault would have plotted against him.
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