Renault stated on Thursday an audit launched following the arrest of Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn had so far discovered no irregularities with his pay at the French automaker.
Renault’s statement, launched after a five-hour board meeting, did little to resolve the standoff with alliance partner Nissan Motor, which accused Ghosn of far-reaching financial misconduct as it eliminated him as chairman last month.
The Renault board also asked company lawyers to keep examining a dossier of allegations received from Nissan this week, it stated.
But the “preliminary conclusion” of its own internal investigation was that Ghosn’s Renault compensation was “in compliance with applicable law” and governance guidelines, Renault stated. It didn’t discussed Nissan’s allegations.
The boardroom crisis has rocked the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, with Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa calling for modifications to weaken the French parent’s control.
Ghosn was charged in Japan for failing to declare deferred earning he had agreed to receive from Nissan, for the five years ending March 2015. While Nissan ousted him days after his November 19 arrest, Renault has resisted pressure to replace him at this moment.
The Renault board further “noted that, at this stage, it does not have information concerning Carlos Ghosn’s defense,” the company stated after its meeting, which had long been scheduled to go over 2018-19 financial accounts.
