Since Ghosn broke his Japanese bail conditions and fled the country on a private jet while hiding in a box of audio equipment, he has been living in a $19 million mansion in Beirut. Unfortunately for him and his wife, he was ordered to vacate the premises within a month on October 16.
Ghosn doesn't own the house. Instead, the Lebanese company Phoinos Investment is registered as the owner and filed a lawsuit against Ghosn for living there in 2019. The company claims he is “trespassing on private property and living in the home without legal basis.” The former industry executive juggernaut asserts that Phoinos Investment was affiliated with Nissan and that “the property was purchased … for his residence, and there is a signed agreement with Nissan that grants him the right to reside.”
However, a judge mentioned that Ghosn simply lived in the house due to a contract with Nissan, and the termination of his relationship with Nissan cancels the legal permission for him to stay there, as per Japan Times.
A lawyer for Ghosn confirmed that he filed an appeal and will submit additional documents from Japan, which were not available previously.
Ghosn was originally charged with financial misconduct in Japan in 2018, but has been on the offensive since fleeing in late 2019. Earlier this year, the 69-year-old filed a lawsuit in Lebanon's Court of Cassation accusing Nissan, two other companies and 12 individuals of defamation, slander, libel, fabrication of evidence and other crimes. He is seeking $588 million in damages and costs and $500 million in punitive damages.
Source: Japan Times
