CAIRO: A trial started Monday in Lebanon in a case filed by former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn for suing the Japanese automaker and others for over 1 billion dollars in damages, Lebanese judicial sources said.

In May, Ghosn, who is now in Lebanon, filed the lawsuit in the Middle Eastern country against three companies, including Nissan, and multiple Nissan officials on defamation and evidence tampering allegations, according to Reuters.

In an online press conference in July, Ghosn said he launched the suit to restore his reputation, not to retaliate.

Ghosn was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on suspicion of not recording part of his executive compensation in Nissan’s financial statements in violation of the financial instruments and exchange law. He additionally faced special breach-of-trust charges under the companies law later for his alleged misappropriation of Nissan funds. He fled to Lebanon in December 2019 while on bail awaiting trial.

JIJI Press