crime

Nissan CEO calls for Renault board to review Ghosn findings

43 Comments
By Laurence Frost and Gilles Guillaume

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43 Comments
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Mr Saikawa, you especially have no credibility whatsoever. You chose to make an internal company matter a criminal case, thus using the Japanese judiciary for economic or even personal advantage. You had weeks of time to produce, alter, tamper with, choose what to use and manipulate 'evidence' while the accused is locked up and silenced. That is mafia modus operandi and not how it works in developed and civilized countries where the accused party can respond and defend himself.

26 ( +28 / -2 )

@Akie

It's called the presumption of innocence. I know your opinion has probably been swayed by the Japanese media already, but why not wait until all the facts are out and Ghosn has had a proper chance to show his side of story. For all he's done for Nissan and Japan, I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

22 ( +24 / -2 )

"All that I ask is that the directors of Renault should have access to the full dossier,"

Well, it's been seen by Renault's lawyers. Judging by the fact that Ghosn is still CEO and Chairman, they probably found it pretty thin. It's so obvious that this guy wants Ghosn out of the picture to save his own behind.

21 ( +23 / -2 )

Make them build a proper case against you, Ghosn. Don't give them any assistance through a confession or otherwise. It's an adversarial justice system and the burden of proof is on the State.

16 ( +18 / -2 )

It seems that the case is more than Ghosn. Why is he still trusted by the French is puzzling

Because they have an actual justice system that doesnt rely on forced confessions and detentions. What did one japanese lawyer state about the system, “guilty until proven guilty”.

15 ( +17 / -2 )

Saikawa wants to think that he can make everybody believe his truth. Well,

@Akie: If Ghosn is really Ghosn is really guilty and Japan's love for printed documents, Nissan won't have any problems proving it since they must have all the needed evidence to prove it. But, until they do so, then Ghosn is innocent.

Unfortunately for Saikawa, the rest of the world can think critically and doesn't just say 'hai' to every BS fed to them.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Mr Saikawa, you especially have no credibility whatsoever. You chose to make an internal company matter a criminal case, thus using the Japanese judiciary for economic or even personal advantage. You had weeks of time to produce, alter, tamper with, choose what to use and manipulate 'evidence' while the accused is locked up and silenced. That is mafia modus operandi and not how it works in developed and civilized countries where the accused party can respond and defend himself.

Not to mention he played dirty trick so Kelly that already had schedule for critical surgery, missed his planned surgery and need to change his health provider.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

I was in vancouver for 3 weeks and just got in last week. I was really troubled by the fact that the Ghosn case is not really on the radar there. Of course Canada does have its share of problems with China etc. so I can where they would not be so intererested in this. But the international community really needs to put more pressure on japan. The indefinite incarceration is against human rights and unless Japan is not seriously named and shamed this will never stop. The Japanese are not going to let him go without a confession unless there is significant pressure on them to do so. If possible the french government should start exerting pressure through the EU to at least get him out of prision while he awaits trial.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

@Akie - NZ2011 said "guilty until proven guilty as they say..."

Where is your brain ?

@Akie, where is your brain? That is a statement made by a Japanese lawyer three days ago.

Ghosn's actions may very well have been unscrupulous but, the Japanese lawyers are going to have great difficulty proving criminal intent. No doubt this is why they are refusing to let him out of detention. They remain hopeful of forcing a confession from him. It's very easy for Renault to conclude this is a sham to have power shifted within NISSAN. The Japanese prosecution are virtually fabricating accusations to keep Ghosn locked up. Furthermore, the Japanese prosecutors and many Japanese people seem to be taking great pride in keeping him locked up under allegations that are yet to be proven. Personally, I feel the treatment of Ghosn is far more criminal than the things he has been accused of doing.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Saikawa style snakelike backpedaling, trying so hard to create the illusion of righteousness even though he and his cohorts were the architect of this whole dirty little coup. Must take a lot of mental gymnastics to keep his personal narrative in tact. Must be even harder to try and sell it to a sharp, business savvy world that possesses an actual morale compass to help filter out the wheat from the chaff. What a tangled web. You simple don’t get to launch an all out attack without the accused having a chance to properly defend himself. No matter how good or strong you think your case is , your methods are fatally flawed!

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Nissan expects alliance partner Renault's board to back its ousting of Chairman Carlos Ghosn 

Renault already cleared Ghosn of any wrongdoings and he remains the CEO of Renault.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

I agree with the poster above,in order to make this case more visible in the international press France should raise his voice through the European Union channel,Japan is good at hiding it’s dark side from the world media.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

@Akie....your comments are not really well thought out..

”guilty is guilty you don’t have to prove it...”????

If you were arrested for a crime you felt you did not commit wouldn’t you want the state to prove their case? If you like the inquisitorial system of justice then China and NK might be good places to move for you.

For Pete’s sake give the man his day in court and allow him the opportunity to defend himself publicly!

9 ( +11 / -2 )

@Akie,

I don't think anyone is expecting he would be sitting in his office, but surely people have the right to a fair trial.

Its pretty well known thats not the aim of these long holds without lawyers and family, with non stop interrogation, guilty until proven guilty as they say...

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Saikawa is just a snake who wants to boot Ghosn and Renault out of Nissan.

Saikawa: Please, Renault Board, review our findings.

Also Saikawa: No, Renault, we will NOT grant your request for an extraordinary shareholders meeting to discuss this situation. We will hold our next shareholders meeting in June as scheduled

Gee, Saikawa, wonder why Renault has given you a big middle finger as your largest shareholder?!

Maybe because they can see right through your duplicitous, self-serving actions!

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Its almost like a deliberate attempt to lose credibility in the international business community with the result being Japan Inc. turns inward once again. Goes into lockdown. But that would be plain stupid, right?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

@Madden,

Renault should agree to it if Nissan also holds a board meeting which they've been asking for the last few months and Saikawa keeps denying.

Just a slight correction. Renault has been requesting an extraordinary shareholder's meeeting, not a director's meeting.

Nissan has basically told their largest shareholder to go get stuffed on their request for that extraordinary shareholder's meeting.

Nissan needs to burn. Well, at least their J management.

J Inc at work.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Nissan has already been denied twice to the Renault board due to not following its evidence requirements. Hence this plea through the media, again. Looks like there are too few to care what Saikawa has to say. As long as Ghosn can't defend himself Saikawa can't present to the board, and vice versa

5 ( +6 / -1 )

This "injustice" system is just shaming Japan more and more every day. GIVE HIM HIS DAY IN COURT!!

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Renault should agree to it if Nissan also holds a board meeting which they've been asking for the last few months and Saikawa keeps denying.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

This "injustice" system is just shaming Japan more and more every day. GIVE HIM HIS DAY IN COURT!!

They did.  According to Japanese standards.  Which are very low indeed.

S

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Wg* So you just shut him down, by locking up Ghosn in solitary? Good plan of attack that one. That’ll install confidence...very Stalinesque.

How about the goal of becoming actually competent instead of relying on the age old methods of betrayal and suppression? That way everyone wins.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Ermm, someone please correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the 'interim' CEO of Nissan have more important things to do such as running a huge manufacturing business..? If I were a shareholder I would see Saikawa's over-indulgence in the prosecution as a failure of his main duties as CEO of Nissan.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

he is a very dangerous man, not about flight risk, about control he has over everybody.

and yet the judge clearly stated he was a flight risk, of all the people detained in Japan very few get granted bail , most are Japanese and dont have the financial means to run, so this whole BS excuse of not granting bail is a farse, its all about keeping people isolated so prosecutors can more easily force a confession

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Will* a transparent Saikawa? Are you for real Good Wille? I try and give praise where praise is due, but are we talking about the same guy here? Perplexed.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It seems that the case is more than Ghosn. Why is he still trusted by the French is puzzling.

I highly doubt Saikawa  is trusted by the French being the biggest share holder they should demand he resign and put somebody more trustworty in his place.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Just been reading about the suppression of the knights Templer, confined in a cold environment, fed just enough to sustain life, constant repetition of questions, sound familiar, it's a beauracractic system not to obtain truth mearly an admission of guilt. Not one 1st world country will ever take seriously any admission of guilt under these conditions. Why? Why? Are his family not able to visit? Do they possesses super power ears that are capable of bamboozling prosecutors?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It is not correct in any human rights to prevent Carlos from being released on bail. Even in before Christ time , people are allowed judgement in the correct way, to allow both parties to present their case. Saikawa offer a olive branch when he was the one that was Carlos Japanese counter part ???. Who is he kidding ???. Does Nissan inc takes , us good Japanese as fools or us, investors as fools ???. If there are so much proof , let's hear them in Public. What is Nissan afraid of or Japanese prosecutors afraid of ???. What I have seen on television or in the news in Japan is just hearsay ................he said this , he wrote this, this was done , all one sided from Nissan. open the Carlos case in public to prove yr gossip to destroy a man & his life for saikawa's personal interests.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Akie

It seems that the case is more than Ghosn. Why is he still trusted by the French is puzzling

Ghosn is not really trusted by the French now.

Nor by business professionals who know how to read the news and understand the fine print.

Renault Board is stonewalling because Ghosn paid a least two of the Renault members enormous moneys, SECRETLY

{ 1. A former chairman was paid 1 billion Yen last year. 2. And executive Mouna Sepehri was paid an undisclosed remuneration of around 1 billion Yen over a 5 year period.}

This was done by Ghosn thru the Dutch subsidiary.

The French Ministry of Finance IS focusing on this for unpaid taxes. French law also requires executives to pay their full amount of taxes. If they don't they are criminally liable.

If Renault lets Ghosn go as CEO, a new CEO will demand in internal investigation and the house of cards will fall apart.

So someone on the board is stalling and keeping the cards close to their chest there at Renault

Meanwhile, Renault Union is crying 'foul'; the French press is lurking around on this stalemate pressing Renault for transparency .

Renault will not be able to hold out for much longer.

That notwithstanding, I do not see any Renault cars breaking ground at the Car Show ( as per article below)

Nor any Nissan cars, for that matter -except for the LEAF. But that is ho-hum. Other manufacturers and bringing in amazing new products!.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

On " bail", he can write/phone, buy people loyalty, now his heart is bad for Nissan, he is a very dangerous man, not about flight risk, about control he has over everybody.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@northernlife

I can see its not Japanese way for second in command to win, but in this case Carlos Ghosn is for good reason being questioned, while Nissan has to move forward.

With a battery below the floor and electric motors on all four wheels, the Inspiration's passenger cabin is moved forward for more "lounge-like" interior space.

Lets hope it can be a strong Japanese Company again.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

If Carlos Ghosn was "allowed" to speak too much he would just embolden the fan boys, turn it into a crisis of confidence in Japan Inc as he has been doing for twenty years, and paying himself a lot.

Give poor Hiroto Saikawa San the chance to lead, like the management of Toyota and Honda do so well.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Its just a necessary transitional tool,

@rickykaminsky13

Otherwise, trust me this would turn into a shouting match, with lawyers walking away with millions. He has done enough naughty, for six months which should be enough for Nissan, Mitsubishi and Renault to know where they are going with regards New Energy Vehicles and the rest of the M.O.V.E. Plan under the guidance of Hiroto Saikawa, and for Carlos Ghosn never to be a Chairman of any car company anywhere ever again !

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Ouch

@Ricky Kaminski13

Wg* So you just shut him down, by locking up Ghosn in solitary?

Hmmm only at night, all day long he's with prosecutors, but yes away from media, so he can't influence people he's paid off, like Mouna Sepehri.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Ghosn's actions may very well have been unscrupulous but, the Japanese lawyers are going to have great difficulty proving criminal intent. 

Thats enough, Saikawa is winnable, to carry on with your criticism of Saikawa and his team is to damage your own company !

Move on with M O.V E.

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

On the contrary @rickykaminski13

You have a judiciary that's put the hound to bed, and a transparent CEO (SAIKAWA), that is sorting out the messy corruption, why can't you be proud of your countrymen for the first time.

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

Sha said "until they do so, then Ghosn is innocent."

Wrong. Guilty is guilty, you don't have to prove it, as innocent is innocent you don't have to disprove it. Law is flawed because it is independent of reality.

-18 ( +1 / -19 )

thelonius, you are not lecturing Japanese, are you ? Why not give the benefit of the doubt to Nissan ? Why not presume that Nissan is innocent and provided a trust worthy evidences ? While Ghosn is in the jail for trial, he can't be in his office at the same time. That is physics, and physics doesn't lie. So who is suffering ? The French company !

-26 ( +1 / -27 )

It seems that the case is more than Ghosn. Why is he still trusted by the French is puzzling.

-27 ( +3 / -30 )

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