French judicial investigators heard former Nissan and Renault chief executive Carlos Ghosn as a witness Wednesday in Beirut ahead of further questioning next week, French and Lebanese sources said.
"Six French judges, including public prosecutors and investigative judges, started listening to Ghosn's witness testimony at 11 am" on Wednesday, a Lebanese judicial source told AFP.
A French source close to the case said the ex-Renault chief is being questioned as a "simple witness" over accusations that Renault cheated on pollution tests for diesel and petrol engines with the knowledge of top management.
The investigation opened in France in 2015 as part of the “Dieselgate” scandal also involving Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler, and French peer PSA.
The hearing comes before French magistrates on Monday officially question Ghosn over other judicial inquiries lodged against him in France.
Ghosn has been living in Lebanon since Dec. 2019 after fleeing Japan where he was being investigated over suspicious financial transactions.
Last week, Ghosn was ordered by a Dutch court to pay almost 5 million euros ($6 million) to a local unit of Nissan Motor Co.
He sued his former employer for 15 million euros in 2019, arguing that he was wrongfully dismissed.
Ghosn is currently beyond the reach of the Japanese courts and leads a comparatively quiet life, mostly in his Beirut home, according to AFP.
He recently released a book setting out his side of his case.
