Carlos Ghosn denies Nissan's misconduct charges

Former Nissan president Carlos Ghosn denied accusations of misconduct, according to Japanese media reports.

Mr Ghosn, considered a titan of the auto industry, was arrested by police and fired by Nissan last week.

Among the claims against the businessman, at the head of the Renault-Nissan alliance, include a false statement of his income.

The public broadcaster NHK, who first revealed the arrest of Mr. Ghosn, said that he had told investigators that there was no intention to underreport it. his income.

He did not speak publicly.

Greg Kelly, a former Nissan executive arrested with Mr Ghosn, reportedly claimed that NHK was defending his boss's compensation, claiming that she had been discussed with other officials and paid appropriately .

Japanese prosecutors say the two men conspired to underestimate Ghosn's compensation by about half of the 10 billion yen ($ 68 million) he had earned at Nissan in five years. from 2010. The company has also made other allegations regarding the use of the company's money.

Nissan reportedly formed a "secret" team earlier this year to investigate allegations of financial misconduct by Ghosn, who was hailed as a hero in Japan for returning Nissan's disease.

Suspicions remain as to the timing of Ghosn's fall, while the future of the Renault-Nissan partnership was worrisome.

It is believed that he would have planned a complete merger of automakers, which some Nissan executives feared would see their company reduced to a junior partner.

Civil damages

Mr. Ghosn, born in Brazil, is being held in a detention center in Tokyo. On Wednesday, prosecutors successfully requested the extension of her police custody for another 10 days.

Nissan is also considering taking civil damages action against Mr. Ghosn for his expenses and the alleged use of the company's money to buy a property, Kyodo News reported in Japan.

His arrest raises questions about the future of the partnership between Renault, Nissan and, since 2016, Mitsubishi.

All three companies are cross-shareholdings that could be complicated to cancel. Renault has not replaced Mr. Ghosn as CEO, but has appointed a "temporary" executive officer.

The leaders of the three companies would hold a meeting this week, their first meeting since Mr. Ghosn's arrest.

The meeting was to be held in the Netherlands with a videoconference available for executives who can not attend, reported the Japanese Yomiuri Shimbun.

Nissan hopes to announce the appointment of a successor by the end of December. But the success of the alliance has been attributed in large part to Ghosn's drive and charisma, and analysts say it will be hard to follow.

Mr. Ghosn, considered a superstar of the business world in Japan, was allowed to take bold steps. He was, for example, one of the first to adopt electric cars, investing heavily in technology despite the skepticism of most motorists.