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In this photo from Friday, April 20, 2018, Nissan President Carlos Ghosn, expresses himself during an interview in Hong Kong. (Kin Cheung / AP)
James McAuley
Correspondent abroad on French and European politics and culture
Simon Denyer
Head of the Tokyo office covering Japan, North Korea and South Korea.
PARIS – French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday called for the establishment of an "interim governance" structure at Renault, as part of a survey on the financial operations of the company's manager. 39, automobile, Carlos Ghosn.
Ghosn was arrested Monday in Japan, where he is president of Nissan. The Japanese automaker has announced that Mr Ghosn would be fired for "serious wrongdoing", particularly because of under-reporting of his salary and the use of the company's assets for his personal benefit.
Ghosn, a French citizen of Lebanese origin, is also president of Mitsubishi Motors and president and CEO of Renault in France. The French government controls 15% of the capital of this company and the news from Japan seems to take Paris by surprise.
"Carlos Ghosn is no longer in a position to lead the group," Le Mayor told France Info television on Tuesday morning.
But The Mayor added that he was asking for answers, not necessarily Ghosn's resignation. He said the government had begun to review Mr Ghosn's tax activities in France after the announcement of Nissan's news in Japan, but that at the moment, "there is nothing special about to report on the tax situation of Mr Ghosn in France ".
For now, said Le Maire, the French government would not demand the departure of Mr. Ghosn from the board of directors of Renault, because "we have no evidence" of financial foul in France.
The board of directors is scheduled to meet Tuesday evening in Paris to set up a new interim structure.
The news of Ghosn's shocking arrest has triggered an even more defensive reaction in Lebanon, where his legacy is a source of pride.
Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil issued a statement in which he urged the Lebanese ambassador to Tokyo to follow the case and ensure that he enjoys the benefit of his life. fair treatment, according to the Associated Press.
Ghosn represents "a model of Lebanese success abroad and the Lebanese Foreign Ministry will support him in his crisis to ensure that he will get a fair trial," said Bassil.
In Japan, the sudden fall of Ghosn made the headlines, the details of the accusations against him being leaked in the media.
The national broadcaster NHK said that Nissan had paid "huge sums" for the purchase and maintenance of luxury residences for Ghosn in Beirut, Paris, Amsterdam and Rio de Janeiro, which were not not justified for legitimate business reasons.
Purchases were not declared in stock market deposits, while Ghosn did not pay or pay rent, NHK said, citing unnamed sources.
The Nikkei newspaper, citing anonymous sources again, said nearly $ 18 billion had been channeled through a Dutch subsidiary of Nissan to purchase a condominium on the prestigious Copa Cabana strip of Rio and a luxury house in Beirut.
NHK also claimed that Ghosn, who was responsible for paying Nissan's top 13 executives, secretly siphoned some of this money for himself.
Prosecutors have only confirmed that Ghosn, along with director of representation Greg Kelly, were arrested for failing to report about $ 44 million of revenue in Nissan's official securities reports filed over five years from 2011.
Nissan shares fell by more than 5% in Tokyo trading on Tuesday.
"It is extremely regrettable," the secretary general of the Japanese Cabinet, Yoshihide Suga, told the press. "We will follow developments closely."
Denyer reported from Yokohama, Japan.
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