Former car manager Carlos Ghosn has filed a lawsuit against Nissan and Mitsubishi for breach of contract in the Netherlands. A spokesman for the 65-year-old said in France, confirming a report in the newspaper "Le Figaro". The former boss of Renault and Nissan, who is detained in Japan, is demanding up to 15 million euros in compensation.
The case concerns his position in the joint company Nissan-Mitsubishi BV (NMBV). This is based in the Netherlands, which is why the local authorities are responsible for the case. NMBV is owned equally by the two Japanese carmakers. The company was founded in 2007 to "study and promote the synergies of the partnership". Ghosn was employed there.
In March NMBV announced that it would soon be dissolved. Ghosn's lawyers now argue that the former Renault chief had resigned from his contract with the Renault and Nissan joint venture in the Netherlands (RNBV), but not with NMBV. Therefore, it is an unjustified breach of contract. According to "Le Figaro", the carmaker Ghosn's contract with NMBV is not valid at all.
The Tokyo public prosecutor's office has filed four charges against Ghosn for misappropriating company funds and violating disclosure requirements. The accused, who holds Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship in addition to French, denies all allegations and speaks of an intrigue by former board members at Nissan.
Ghosn was arrested in Tokyo in November, but has been released on bail since the beginning of March. However, Ghosn is not allowed to leave Japan and is monitored by cameras. Most recently, his wife had asked President Donald Trump for help.
