Renault retains Carlos Ghosn as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer following Nissan charges for misbehavior

CNBC's Julianna Tatelbaum announced today that Ghosn was staying at Renault:

Renault issued a statement on the current state of Ghosn's leadership. Here is a part of the statement sent to Jalopnik:

At this stage, the Commission is not in a position to comment on the evidence apparently gathered against Mr Ghosn by Nissan and the Japanese judicial authorities.

Mr. Ghosn, temporarily incapacitated, remains Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors has decided to temporarily appoint Mr Thierry Bolloré as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Bolloré will lead the Group's management team with the same powers as Carlos Ghosn. During this period, the board of directors will meet regularly under the chairmanship of the principal independent director to protect the interests of Renault and the sustainability of the Alliance.

However, the BBC has announced that the French government, in particular the Minister of Finance, Bruno Le Maire, is pressuring Renault's board of directors to eliminate Ghosn following the accusations. From the BBC:

Carlos Ghosn should not remain at the helm of Renault after his arrest in Japan for "misconduct", said the French Minister of Finance.

Bruno Le Mayor declared that he was "no longer in a position" to lead the automaker in which the French state holds a 15% stake.

[…]

The minister suggested that the directors could ask Thierry Bollore, Renault's Chief Operating Officer, to introduce himself.

Mr. Bollore is already responsible for many of the company's day-to-day activities and the company's latest statement makes it clear that work within the company is proceeding normally.

The Financial Times had previously announced that the French government was planning to sell its 15% stake in Renault following charges and the arrest of President Ghosn.

As a reminder, Carlos Ghosn is the president and CEO of Renault and the chairman of Mitsubishi, which is part of a decades-long partnership with Nissan, of which he was previously chairman and president until this week.

Yesterday, Ghosn was arrested after an internal investigation into a financial misconduct at Nissan, which became a police investigation. Hiroto Saikawa, Nissan's current CEO, said Ghosn had abused his post and "used the company's assets for personal gain" and underestimated his compensation.

Although official charges must have been made for Ghosn to be arrested in Japan, the case will still be brought to court for a final verdict of guilt or not guilty. In its statement, Renault said the board had decided to start the "transitional governance measures", suggesting that Ghosn's management could only be temporary and asked for all the information gathered during the meeting. Nissan's internal investigation.