Mr Ghosn's behaviour has been closely watched by Japanese police since he escaped from Japan late last year in a suitcase. But is Mr Ghosn embezzling public funds? How much public money was misappropriated? On August 20, the Internal Revenue Service in Tokyo, Japan, released its answer.

       In response to Ghosn, the former chairman of Nissan who fled Lebanon on bail, the Tokyo Internal Revenue Service said nissan failed to file tax returns for about 1 billion yen in the five years to March 2019, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported. The Tokyo Internal Revenue Service also said the amount of recovery, including underreporting plus taxes, would reach Y250m. In addition, Nissan missed 150 million yuan of expenses in the three years to March 2014.

       That is to say, in addition to the amount that should be misappropriated by Ghosn this time but should not be included in the company expenses, the amount that Ghosn personally misappropriated but should not be included in the company expenses accumulated over eight years is more than 1.15 billion yen (about 75.14 million yuan).

       Nissan, meanwhile, said it had suffered huge losses as a result of Mr Ghosn's actions, and in February filed a lawsuit in the Yokohama district Court demanding compensation of about Y10bn.

       Although Mr Ghosn is regarded by Japan and Nissan as an ancient sinner, he does not seem to think so. Mr. Ghosn held a private conference in Lebanon after his flight, saying nissan's allegations against him for misappropriating company funds were false and that he had been treated inhumanely while on bail in Japan. Mr Ghosn, meanwhile, recently told the press that he was at home in Lebanon planning a book that would detail nissan's collusion with Japanese prosecutors to frame him.