The Paris Court of Appeal rejected on Thursday, March 27, all of Carlos Ghosn's appeals to have the international arrest warrant issued against him in April 2023 overturned. The former Renault-Nissan CEO, who has been a refugee in Lebanon since his dramatic escape from Japan at the end of 2019, is the subject of an investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office for corruption and influence peddling, particularly in connection with his past collaboration with Rachida Dati, then a lawyer and MEP.
The arrest warrant was issued after Ghosn refused to appear in court when summoned by a Parisian investigating judge. His lawyers argued that the warrant was inadmissible, arguing that it was legally prohibited for him to leave Lebanese territory and that he had not "voluntarily" evaded justice. However, the court held that his absence from France justified the use of this type of warrant, even without a prior attempt at a formal summons.
An explosive case involving politics, business and justice
Carlos Ghosn is suspected of having paid Rachida Dati €900 for consulting services deemed fictitious, while she was an MEP. Both strongly deny the accusations. Ghosn's defense team also attempted, unsuccessfully, to access the court file despite the arrest warrant, and invoked the statute of limitations. These arguments were dismissed by the investigating chamber.
This legal setback comes on top of another case in which Ghosn is the subject of an arrest warrant in Nanterre, this time for misuse of corporate assets and money laundering as part of an organized gang linked to an Omani car dealer. At 71, Carlos Ghosn remains the subject of several international legal proceedings, unable to leave Lebanon, where he now resides under the protection of local authorities.
