Prosecutors in France issued international arrest warrants for former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn and four others who allegedly helped him siphon millions of euros from Renault SA, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing the prosecutor’s office in Paris.
One of the warrants targets billionaire Suhail Bahwan, who owns a vehicle distributor in Oman that prosecutors allege was used to funnel Renault funds for Ghosn’s personal use, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the matter. The others are against Bahwan’s two sons and the former general manager of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, it said.
Ghosn, the former head of Nissan and Renault, fled Japan in late 2019. He was facing charges of financial misconduct. Japan has also issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn, but the former auto titan currently resides in Lebanon which does not extradite its citizens. He has citizenship in Lebanon, France and Brazil.
Since Ghosn’s dramatic escape from Japan, his main legal risks have largely shifted to France, where he is accused of using Renault funds to pay for a yacht and his wife’s birthday party. French investigators have traveled to Beirut to question Ghosn over his interactions with the Omani car distributor and his spending on various events and trips.