Ghosn was interrogated by the prosecutor on Monday. The television station NHK reported in the evening, the 64-year-old Ghosn had been arrested. The newspaper „Asahi“ wrote that he had voluntarily been taken away.
Ghosn is said to have reported his salary lower than his actual salary in securities reports to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Nissan accuses him. The towering manager who led Nissan out of a major crisis at the turn of the millennium and to new success has also committed further grave misconduct, according to a news release by Nissan. He is said to have issued company money for personal purposes.
Nissan Managing Director (CEO) Hiroto Saikawa wants to recommend that the board immediately remove Ghosn as chairman, the press release said. The Japanese car maker wanted to inform the press in Yokohama in the evening. According to Nissan, the transgressions also involved the representative director Greg Kelly, who was arrested on Monday. Nissan announced a press conference for 9:00 pm Japanese time (1:00 pm German time).
„Le Cost Killer“
The share of the French carmaker Renault lost at the stock exchange in Tokyo at times about 13 percent. Similarly strong fell Nissan shares, which are listed in Germany. The Tokyo Stock Exchange was already closed when the allegations became known.
To the detail view
Ghosn, the rare foreign top manager in Japan, was highly regarded in the country. The Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese descent was sent by Renault to Nissan in 1999, when the French took part in the ailing Japanese automaker.
In 2001, Ghosn was appointed CEO of Nissan and rebuilt the company with a heavy hand. He left office only last year, but remained chairman of the company. He also manages Renault. There he is called „Le Cost Killer“.
Ghosn led the alliance of Renault and Nissan, to which was added third in the league in 2016 nor Mitsubishi Motors, to the top of the world. Last year, the tripartite alliance was just behind Volkswagen in terms of production and ahead of Toyota Motor.
