‘Renault has criticised Nissan’s probe methods’

PARIS: Lawyers for French carmaker Renault have criticised its Japanese alliance partner Nissan Motor Co Ltd for its handling of an internal probe into the Carlos Ghosn scandal, a newspaper has reported.

In a letter to Nissan dated January 19, the lawyers said they had “serious concerns about the methods used” by the company and its legal team, including the way they treated some Renault employees, according to Le Journal du Dimanche.

Former head of the alliance Ghosn is being on charges he under-reported millions of dollars in pay as head of Nissan.

“Renault has gathered sufficient evidence to understand and regret the methods used by Nissan and its lawyers to seek interviews with Renault employees through the Japanese public prosecutor’s office,” they said.

A Nissan spokesman said yesterday the letter “has already been reviewed and fully addressed in a series of verbal and written responses from Nissan’s external attorneys”.

“The communications in question do not reflect the current state of discussions with Renault and its lawyers,” said Nissan spokesman Nicholas Maxfield.