Ghosn was planning to buy properties after listeners rang the alarm

TOKYO – Former Nissan chairman, Carlos Ghosn, has planned to personally buy residences abroad from a subsidiary of the company when the legality of their initial purchase was put in. doubt by listeners, announced Thursday sources close to the file.

Ghosn, arrested on November 19 for alleged underreporting of his salary, reportedly ordered a foreign affiliate to buy the properties for his family.

But when listeners questioned the nature of the investment, Ghosn, 64, considered buying it himself, sources said. This may have been done in order to dispel suspicion, the sources said.

The Special Investigations Department of the Tokyo District Procuratorate examines the circumstances of the subsidiary's purchases, seeking evidence of Ghosn's knowledge of any irregularities.

Ghosn is believed to have diverted more than 2 billion yen ($ 17.7 million) by buying and renovating two properties in Brazil and Lebanon through the Dutch subsidiary established by Nissan for investment purposes in 2010.

Nissan's auditors have asked questions about unit investments on several occasions since 2011, according to people familiar with the subject.

Former Nissan executive Greg Kelly and others reportedly discussed the potential purchase of both properties by Ghosn, but the deal never materialized.

An internal investigation revealed that under-reporting of compensation, misuse of investment funds and expenses was considered a fault by Ghosn, while real estate purchases through the subsidiary were considered bad. use of investment funds.