French prosecutors have issued an international arrest warrant for disgraced auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn, who fled Japan in 2019 for Lebanon in a gripping escape, reports FRANCE 24.
The prosecutor's office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said Friday that it issued the warrant for the former head of Nissan and Renault and four other people based on an investigation opened in 2019 into money laundering and abuse of company assets. Prosecutors are investigating millions of dollars in alleged suspect payments made between the Renault-Nissan alliance and Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA), a vehicle distributor company in Oman.
The former head of the Nissan-Renault alliance fled to Lebanon in 2019, while out on bail facing financial misconduct charges in Japan. He denies wrongdoing. Ghosn said he learned about the new warrant Friday via the media, and noted that he's barred from leaving Lebanon anyway.
“I'm ready to defend myself," he told France's BFM television. He repeatedly insisted that he did not receive any money from the Oman distributor and that there was “no embezzling.”
Later Friday, Ghosn told Lebanese TV station Al-Jadeed that he questioned the timing of the arrest warrant and added that he had planned a long time ago to retire in Lebanon. “The timing is surprising. A warrant like that is issued two days before the (French) presidential election?” Ghosn said.