Voices in the international media were now referring to a possible plot to arrest Carlos Ghosn. The Financial Times pointed out that tensions were already mounting in the Summer of 2018 between Carlos Ghosn and Hiroto Saikawa over the future of the Alliance. Specialist publications added that, interestingly enough, the arrest occurred at a defining moment for the closer Alliance that Carlos Ghosn wanted, and Japanese resistance to this.
Retrospective investigations by reporters all cast doubts on the charges brought against Carlos Ghosn. Le Figaro noted that, as time goes on, the price of the treatment meted out to Carlos Ghosn is a severely constrained form of freedom. A report in Les Echos newspaper confirmed this and added that Carlos Ghosn is actually being followed all the time. Le Monde focused on the resulting industrial fiasco for Renault and Nissan since its former CEO was caught up in an internally concocted trap. Ward’s Auto highlighted a combined loss of $18 billion in market capitalization for Renault and Nissan.
Le Point magazine put together a “portrait gallery” of the main protagonists in the Carlos Ghosn affair. This series in 10 episodes traced the portraits of 10 individuals and the role they played in “the Carlos Ghosn affair”.
You could listen to a podcast of the events of the past 12 months in the Story on Les Echos:
In the English language media, Reuters focused on the destruction by the prosecutors of 6,000 copies of electronic communications which the defense wishes to see included in the case file. An additional manoeuvre that highlighted the arbitrary treatment meted out by the prosecutors who had already detained Carlos Ghosn for 129 days.
Lastly, in addition to the comprehensive retrospective published in the Financial Times, presenting Carlos Ghosn’s industrial achievements, Bloomberg summarised the situation over the past 12 months in a clear and concise article:
« Ghosn’s legal battle is likely to be Japan’s biggest-ever corporate trial […] and influence foreigners’ perceptions about working in Japan and fuel questions about the country’s legal system, in which prosecutors have a near-perfect conviction rate.”
Bloomberg – 19 November 2019
In a meticulously documented investigation, Bloomberg Business week journalists showed how Carlos Ghosn was hung out to dry and analyzed his legacy as CEO of the world’s leading car maker.
Other media, like Paris Match magazine, featured long reports showing how Carlos Ghosn is busily preparing his defense in a bid to rebuild his reputation, despite “the humiliating restrictions” placed upon him. To finish, Automotive News described his simple day-to-day routine, consisting of long hours spent with his lawyers, determined not to compromise on a single issue, so convinced is he of his innocence.