Taken by surprise, the Japanese try to save face and multiply the attacks. Both the government and Nissan.

After a search of Carlos Ghosn’s home in Tokyo, rumours are spreading about the former boss’s departure conditions.

On 02 January 2020, faced with rumours of pressurising an involvement of his family in his hasty departure from Japan, Carlos Ghosn clarifies:

“There has been speculation in the media that my wife Carole, and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan. All such speculation is inaccurate and false. I alone arranged for my departure. My family had no role whatsoever.”

Carlos Ghosn – 02 January 2020

For its part, on the eve of Carlos Ghosn’s press conference in Lebanon on 7 January 2020, Nissan once again tries, in a press release, to legitimize its action.

The manufacturer wishes to recall that “its internal investigation is robust and that they have irreversible evidence of the embezzlement”.

A desperate gesture to which Carlos Ghosn’s lawyers reply with the following terms:

Nissan’s claim that it conducted “a robust, thorough internal investigation” is a gross perversion of the truth.  Rather, the facts demonstrate that investigation was never about finding the truth; it was initiated and carried out for the specific, predetermined purpose of taking down Carlos Ghosn to prevent him from further integrating Nissan and Renault, which threatened the independence of Nissan, one of Japan’s iconic, flagship companies.”

Carlos Ghosn lawyers

On the diplomatic side, Japan is asking Lebanon to arrest Carlos Ghosn via Interpol. There is no chance that this will succeed since Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.

Also on 7 January 2020, Japan issued an arrest warrant for Carole Ghosn.

There was nothing to stop Carole Ghosn from expressing unwavering support for her husband on the same day.

Finally, on the morning of the press conference, the Tokyo prosecutor searched the offices of Carlos Ghosn’s lawyers in Japan. They are illegally trying to seize computers. Until Carlos Ghosn gives his version of the story, the Japanese authorities and Nissan will really have attempted numerous actions to prevent him from doing so.