“Major step”. Justice issues an international arrest warrant against Carlos Ghosn.

French justice has issued an international arrest warrant once morest Carlos Ghosn, former boss of the Renault Nissan alliance who currently lives in Lebanon. An investigation is conducted in Nanterre, in particular for abuse of corporate assets, money laundering and corruption.

Two Americans, accomplices in the escape of Carlos Ghosn, have been convicted.

KEYSTONE/AP/HUSSEIN MALLA

The 68-year-old Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian, who was to be tried in Tokyo for financial embezzlement, has lived in Beirut since his incredible flight from Japan at the end of 2019.

This warrant issued Thursday, which is worth indictment, is a strong message sent to the Lebanese authorities, who do not extradite their nationals and have banned Mr. Ghosn from traveling. If he is executed, the ex-CEO will be presented to an examining magistrate in Nanterre who will notify him of his indictment.

Suspicious payments

In the sights of justice: nearly 15 million euros (15.5 million francs) in payments considered suspicious between RNBV, the Dutch subsidiary embodying the Renault-Nissan alliance, and the distributor of the French car manufacturer in Oman, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA).

In addition to the one targeting Carlos Ghosn, the investigating judge in charge of the investigation also issued four international arrest warrants once morest the founder of SBA, his two sons and the former general manager, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Justice accuses them of acts of money laundering or corruption.

The judicial investigation, opened once morest X in February 2020 by the Nanterre prosecutor’s office, in particular for abuse of corporate assets and money laundering, was extended last July to the head of “corruption”.

“Major step”

The Renault group, a civil party since February 2020 in this case and which had never spoken until now, “takes note of the decision of the magistrates”, told AFP its lawyer, Me Kami Haeri.

“This is a major step which can be explained by the seriousness of the new facts which have been brought to light following meticulous investigations bringing to light hidden financial relations involving several million euros between Carlos Ghosn and the founders and SBA leaders,” he added.

In this case, the courts also suspect Mr. Ghosn of having personally benefited from a sponsorship agreement between Renault and the establishment managing the Palace of Versailles, by organizing two private parties there, which he disputes.

“This mandate is very surprising because the investigating judge and the Nanterre prosecutor know perfectly well that Carlos Ghosn, who has always cooperated with justice, is subject to a judicial ban on leaving Lebanese territory”, estimated the one of Mr. Ghosn’s lawyers, Me Jean Tamalet, of King and Spalding.

For his part, the founder of the Omani company SBA, Suhail Bahwan, “formally denies having taken part, in any way whatsoever, in the offenses covered by the arrest warrant” issued once morest him by the Nanterre court, told AFP his lawyer, Christophe Ingrain.

“(Mr. Bahwan) has already provided evidence demonstrating his innocence, and is at the full disposal of French justice,” added Me Ingrain.

“Stab”

Targeted by a Japanese arrest warrant, and by an Interpol red notice at the request of Japan, Carlos Ghosn has been forced to stay in Lebanon since he fled the Japanese archipelago in December 2019, hidden in a box of sound equipment.

Revered in Lebanon as a business giant, the former big boss gives lectures at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), near Beirut. Discreet, however, he refrains from commenting on the troubled political and economic life of his country.

Arrested in Tokyo in November 2018, he justified his escape by claiming to have wanted to “escape injustice” and by denouncing a “plot” by the Japanese authorities.

In an interview with Le Parisien last February, he also assured that he wanted to return to France as soon as he “might”. “I am French, I was educated in France, I lived in France, I have a very deep tie,” he proclaimed.

Mr. Ghosn had also denounced the “mortal stab wound by the French government and the board of directors of Renault”.

Trips to Beirut

To carry out their investigations, French magistrates had already traveled twice to Beirut.

Last February, the magistrates of Nanterre interviewed two witnesses there. In the previous June, they had proceeded, with magistrates from Paris, to the free hearing of Mr. Ghosn for five days, for the investigations targeting him in Nanterre and Paris.

The investigation in Paris is interested in the consulting services concluded by RNBV with the former French Minister of Justice Rachida Dati and the criminologist Alain Bauer. In this case “which is ongoing”, “no arrest warrant” has been issued once morest Mr. Ghosn, a judicial source told AFP.

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