The opening of a trial involving a former French justice minister tied to Carlos Ghosn has put the former Renault-Nissan CEO’s fall from the top back in the headlines, rekindling how much a scandal can cost a car company.
The details: France’s former justice minister, Rachida Dati, arrived at a Paris court Wednesday (Sept. 16) to face corruption charges stemming from her ties to Renault-Nissan and its former CEO. But much of the discussion centered on the absence of her co-defendant, Ghosn, according to Courthouse News Service.
Ghosn claimed he hadn’t received a summons or subsequent reminders that the court has been sending to Lebanon since July 2025.
The former Renault-Nissan CEO’s lawyer had formally asked the court to postpone the trial, which is set to run through Sept. 28.
The presiding judge ultimately decided to proceed with the case against Dati over charges stemming from her ties to Ghosn, who made headlines in 2019 after escaping house arrest in Japan by hiding in a music equipment box to get into Lebanon.
Why it matters: The trial puts renewed attention on the legal fallout surrounding Ghosn and his former leadership of Renault-Nissan, reviving a years-old corporate scandal that resulted in an estimated $83 million charge for Nissan tied to the former CEO’s misconduct, along with additional related expenses.
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Between the lines: Dati’s corruption charges tied to Renault-Nissan and Ghosn stem from a $1 million consulting contract she had with the automaker.
In 2009, the former justice minister signed a contract with Ghosn on behalf of Renault-Nissan BV, a subsidiary of the Renault Group, for legal and consulting work.
The subsidiary transferred roughly $1 million to Dati between 2010 and 2012, while she was a member of the European Parliament. But there’s no paper trail detailing the nature of the work.
If Dati is convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison, a roughly $500,000 fine, and a potential five-year ban from holding public office.
What they’re saying: “The [conviction] could potentially come from the fact that Ms. Dati was paid and no specific work resulted from it, despite the alleged production of reports, studies or other materials that were supposed to be done, and she defends herself by claiming there is a professional secrecy,” Jean-François Kerléo, a professor of public law at Aix-Marseille University and co-founder of the Public Ethics Observatory, said, per Courthouse News Service. “Frankly, that is completely implausible.”
Bottom line: The trial revives scrutiny of the Ghosn era at Renault-Nissan years after his dramatic escape from Japan, underscoring how legal and reputational fallout tied to former automotive executives can continue following major brands long after leadership changes.
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