Nissan is looking to block its former chairman Carlos Ghosn from accessing a Rio de Janeiro apartment, saying that the disgraced auto exec is at risk of destroying or removing incriminating evidence, reports Reuters.
Ghosn has apparently been detained in Tokyo since being arrested Nov. 19 for allegations that he conspired with aide Greg Kelly to hide $44 million (5 billion yen) of compensation—around half of what he actually made—from 2010 to 2015. The latest charges filed this week accuse Ghosn of hiding another $38 million (4.2 billion yen) from 2015 to 2018.
As the maximum period of detention allowed by Tokyo police for the first set of charges expires Monday, Dec. 10, a Brazilian court has granted Ghosn access to his Nissan-owned Rio abode located in the swanky, beachfront neighborhood of Copacabana.
Nissan, however, is trying to reverse this decision saying in a statement, “Nissan has been cooperating with authorities to investigate misconduct on the part of its former chairman, and is working to prevent the destruction of any potential evidence that could occur by allowing access to residences in question.”
On Monday morning, prosecutors indicted Ghosn, Kelly, as well as Nissan itself, re-arresting Ghosn and Kelly for the financial misconduct carried out in the last three years.
“Nissan identified serious misconduct related to the reporting of Mr. Ghosn’s compensation,” a spokesperson for the Japanese automaker continued. “The company has been providing information to the Japanese Public Prosecutors Office and has been fully cooperating with its investigation. We will continue to do so.”
There aren’t any details on whether Nissan will attempt several moves on Ghosn’s other luxury properties spread throughout Spain, France, Lebanon, and other countries.