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Since he fled Japan a year ago, where he is on trial on various charges, car mogul Carlos Ghosn has been living a quiet life in Beirut.
Ghosn’s lifestyle is completely different from the one he was in charge, with his travel ban and his absence from the limelight.
According to Agence France-Presse, the Lebanese-Brazilian-French businessman and former head of the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi alliance benefited from the fact that Lebanon did not hand over its citizens to another country to stand trial, to remain since his mysterious and controversial escape from Tokyo , away from the Japanese judiciary, which had put him under severe house arrest. .
Closed life
After roaming the planet, Ghosn, 66, lives a quiet life in Beirut. He lives in an elegant villa that was bought and restored by Nissan when he was its president, located on an elegant street in the Ashrafieh area of Beirut.
Ghosn spends his time with his wife Carole, who did not neglect in any of his media appearances to talk about her and the depth of their relationship.
Ghosn surrounds himself with a narrow circle of close friends.
Sometimes he spends short vacations in boarding houses spread over various mountainous regions of Lebanon.
In an interview with the French-language newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour in Beirut in early November, Ghosn said: “I do not long for anything from my previous life (…), and today I feel that I am rooted (in Lebanon), and this is something that cannot be appreciated. For the price “.
Ghosn arrived in Beirut at the end of last year after fleeing Japan, where he was arrested in November 2018 and spent 130 days in prison in two stages.
The Japanese judiciary indicted him on 4 counts, including failing to report all of his income, using the Nissan money he had saved from bankruptcy to make payments to personal acquaintances and embezzling company funds for personal use.
The total unauthorized amount is more than 9 billion yen ($ 85 million), according to Tokyo.
However, Ghosn denied all the allegations during a lengthy press conference in Beirut a week after his arrival.
He spoke with absolute boldness and confidence in his innocence and explained the circumstances of his trial, accusing the Japanese judiciary of being “biased”.
Japan then demanded that Lebanon hand Ghosn over to complete his trial.
However, the Beirut authorities asked Tokyo to hand over his court file, which has yet to happen.
In a report released on November 20, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called Ghosn’s “deprivation” of “liberty” in Japan “arbitrary.”
He considered that the conditions for placing him under house arrest “apparently were exceptionally strict.”
The group, made up of independent experts who do not speak on behalf of the United Nations and whose opinions are not binding, considered that “the appropriate solution would be to grant Mr. Ghosn a legally viable right to compensation and other remedies, in accordance with the law international”.
French researchers
Since his arrest in Japan in late 2018, Ghosn has spoken of a “conspiracy” against him, orchestrated by some of Nissan executives who feel intimidated by the proposed merger with the Renault company, in “collusion” with the Tokyo Prosecutor’s Office.
Nissan and Mitsubishi are demanding a compensation of 15 million euros for what they consider an arbitrary termination of their contract.
He also started a legal battle against Renault to obtain important retirement and equity rights.
Despite the allegations, many in Lebanon in political, academic and business circles still regard Ghosn as a “role model” due to his long career in the auto industry, and a role model for Lebanese “creativity” abroad.
He rejected any political office
Ghosn is often asked about his desire to participate in politics in a country that is witnessing successive crises, an unprecedented economic collapse and a sharp political divide.
However, he avoids launching political positions and always shows his willingness to put his practical experience at the service of his country without assuming any political office.
He said in a previous statement: “I am not a politician and I am not looking for that.”
On September 29, Ghosn appeared on the podium of a private Lebanese university for the first time in months, to jointly launch tailored training programs to support entrepreneurs and startups and develop student skills, as Lebanon witnesses his worst economic crisis.
In November, Ghosn published a book called “The Time of Truth,” which he wrote with French journalist close to Philip Rias, to present his long version of his story, without self-criticism or revealing new information.
He is also participating in a documentary in preparation about his career, which is supposed to be turned into a short series about his life, and will begin filming next year.
Ghosn consistently refuses to reveal the details of his extraordinary escape, which has caused widespread shock in Japan and around the world.
The United States agreed at the end of last October to hand over to Japan two Americans suspected of helping Ghosn flee Tokyo, via Turkey, and from there to Lebanon.
A team of investigating judges from the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption, Financial Crime and Taxation is expected to hear Ghosn from January 18-22 in Beirut, as part of two court investigations into him in France, they told Reuters. sources familiar with the file in Paris. France Press.
In addition to the questionable expenses incurred by Renault and Renault-Nissan’s Dutch subsidiary, investigators are also interested in hearing from Ghosn about the tax settlement case in the Netherlands while he was head of the coalition.
