Nissan Motor Co. has sued former Chairman Carlos Ghosn, for 10 billion yen ($91 million) in damages.
In a statement that Nissan took out on Wednesday, it said that the lawsuit filed in Yokohama District Court seeks to “recover a significant part of the monetary damages inflicted on the company by its former Chairman as a result of years of his misconduct and fraudulent activity.” They also added that the amount of the claim may rise depending on fines and penalties that Nissan will be obliged to pay.
As per the auto giant, the legal actions form part of Nissan’s policy of holding Ghosn accountable for the harm and financial losses incurred by the company as a result of his misconduct.
Ghosn was arrested in November 2018 on charges of financial wrongdoing, and was facing trial in Japan until he made a dramatic escape to Lebanon at the end of December. Nissan and Japanese prosecutors claim the former auto executive under-reported his income and used company money for personal gain. Ghosn has, however, denied the allegations.
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Japan has, till now, made little progress on its efforts to have him return from Lebanon, with whom there is no extradition treaty.
Ghosn, has also slapped claims against Nissan, stating that he was wrongly dismissed from the carmaker’s Dutch unit and by a joint venture called Nissan-Mitsubishi BV. He is claiming 15 million euros ($16.4 million) in lost income.
The 65-year-old, who was facing two trials on charges of financial misconduct in Japan, jumped bail and fled the country late last year with the help of a security detail led by a former Green Beret. Ghosn has since accused executives at Nissan of plotting with prosecutors in Japan to have him unjustly arrested.
Nissan also said that it may pursue separate legal action over “groundless and defamatory remarks made by Ghosn in comments to the media following his escape to Lebanon in violation of his bail conditions in Japan.”