Nissan shareholders sack ex-chief Ghosn
Tokyo: Nissan shareholders voted Monday to eject Carlos Ghosn from the board, as the detained former chairman fights multiple financial misconduct charges that have landed him in custody.
The extraordinary shareholders' meeting at a Tokyo hotel was the first such gathering since the stunning arrest of the 65-year-old auto sector titan on November 19.
And its vote to remove Ghosn brings an end to the auto tycoon's storied tenure at the firm, which he was once credited with having rescued.
The meeting also saw shareholders vote to remove Greg Kelly, a US executive who served as Ghosn's right-hand man and who also faces charges in Japan, and approve a motion to replace Ghosn with Renault chairman Jean-Dominique Senard.
Nissan sacked Ghosn as chairman almost immediately after his initial arrest but an extraordinary meeting of shareholders was required to remove him from the board.
Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa and other top executives opened the meeting by offering a deep bow to thousands of shareholders.
Saikawa outlined the allegations against his former mentor, accusing him of misusing funds and seeking to conceal his compensation.
"Nissan expresses its deepest regret for any concern caused by the misconduct to our shareholders," he said.
"We have to admit that there was a significant problem with our corporate governance," he added, saying he had been "extremely shocked" when he learned of the misconduct.
Nearly 4,200 shareholders attended the meeting, with many taking the chance of a question-and-answer session to slam Ghosn but also raise concerns about how the scandal was allowed to occur.
"Nissan's governance isn't working well. I really regret that," 77-year-old shareholder Isamu Beppu told AFP before the meeting.
"If there is no rebuilding of its governance, there will be no revival," he added.
Ghosn faces three separate charges. The first two relate to the alleged deferring of around 80 million in income and concealing this in official documents to shareholders.
The third, more complex, charge is that he attempted to transfer personal losses to Nissan and paid a Saudi contact who provided collateral from company funds.
Last week, prosecutors rearrested Ghosn, who was out on bail, over an additional allegation that he transferred Nissan money to a dealership in Oman but siphoned off millions for personal expenses -- including the purchase of a luxury yacht.
Prosecutors believe Ghosn moved Nissan funds totalling 15 million between late 2015 and the middle of 2018 and used 5 million of that for his own ends.
On Friday, the Tokyo District Court ruled that prosecutors could have until at least April 14 to interrogate Ghosn, who denies any wrongdoing.
This period can be extended for a further 10 days if the court allows, meaning Ghosn is unlikely to be released any time soon. And prosecutors could still announce additional allegations.
Ghosn's wife Carole, who had been living with him in Tokyo while he was out on bail, told a newspaper on the weekend that she had fled Japan with the help of the French ambassador because she "felt in danger" after her husband's rearrest.
Japanese prosecutors reportedly wanted to question her on a voluntary basis and are looking into claims that Ghosn routed suspicious funds transfers through a business run by his wife.
Ghosn's rearrest on Thursday came less than a month after he dramatically won bail, paying around 9 million to secure his release.
He had kept tight-lipped during his bail period and was subject to restrictions on his contacts with others connected with the case, and his online communications. He was also banned from leaving the country.
Just before his rearrest, Ghosn had appeared on Twitter to announce a news conference for April 11.
Instead, his lawyers are to hold a briefing Tuesday and play a video Ghosn recorded before his latest arrest.
Ghosn also gave a combative interview to France's TF1 television channel before he was detained, where he denounced a Nissan "plot" against him and voiced fears he might not receive a fair trial.
"It's obvious it's a plot," said Ghosn, adding: "Everything needs to be put on the table. Of course, I have names."
"Some of them you have seen in the press, but there are others that haven't been in the press," he said.
He said his downfall was orchestrated by people scared of closer integration between Nissan and its French partner Renault.
The other reason for the "plot" was the "deterioration in Nissan's performance for two years," he charged.
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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
