Carlos Ghosn's lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, and seven other members of his defense team have resigned following his escape to Lebanon.
Lawyer Hironaka and seven other members of former Nissan chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn's Japanese defense team have filed letters of resignation to the Tokyo district court. This was confirmed by Hironaka's law office.
In late December, Ghosn fled to Lebanon from Japan, where he was awaiting trial on charges of financial wrongdoing. Hironaka previously stated that his client's escape was a "complete surprise" to them.
The lawyer said Ghosn's attorneys hold his passports, and that the former auto executive "could not possibly use them."
In late 2018, Ghosn was taken into custody in Tokyo on on suspicion of financial misconduct, leading to his removal from positions at Nissan and its automotive alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi Motors. He denied the allegations and claimed that his arrest was part of a plot to remove him from the empire he built.
In September 2019, Ghosn agreed to a $1 million settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission regarding allegations that he hid compensation received from Nissan. The SEC case was a civil charge and as part of the settlement, he did not admit to any wrongdoing.
Nissan will pursue legal action
In its first public statement after Ghosn fled from Japan, car manufacturer Nissan announced its plans to take legal action against the former executive for “serious misconduct,” including allegations of under-reporting his income and using company assets for personal benefit.
Nissan’s statement said: “The company will continue to take appropriate legal action to hold Ghosn accountable for the harm that his misconduct has caused to Nissan.”
Nissan labeled Ghosn’s escape as “an act that defies Japan’s judicial system.” The automobile company also said that consequences of the former auto executive’s misconduct “have been significant,” with the US conducting a probe into him as well as investigations being held in France.
