“Carlos Ghosn is a world-class business leader and CEO,” said
“We heard not only as rumors but as fact that he was getting job offers,” Shiga added.
As No. 2 at the Japanese automaker from 2005-2013, Shiga is the highest ranking
The issue of Ghosn's pay became more of a problem after
Executives in
Earlier testimony at the
Shiga said Ghosn had total power to decide on the amount and method of his payment. Apart from confirming a post that Kelly had held he did not mention the American's role in his testimony.
Kelly, a former Nissan executive vice president, has been charged with falsifying securities reports in allegedly under-reporting Ghosn’s compensation by about
Kelly says he is innocent, and was merely trying to keep Ghosn at Nissan. Ghosn also denies any wrongdoing.
Shiga told the court he faced pressure to ensure auditors would not raise objections to the reporting of Ghosn's pay and that he viewed that as a failure of the company's governance. He said he regretted not insisting Ghosn fully disclose his pay.
“Why couldn’t I say, ‘No,’ then? I deeply regret that to this day,” Shiga told the court.
“In my life, that one act has left me with a bitter taste. The memories have faded, but the bitter taste has never gone away.”
Ghosn, a 66-year-old with French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, led Japanese automaker Nissan for two decades. He is wanted on charges of breach of trust, in misusing company assets for personal gain, and violating securities laws in not fully disclosing his compensation. But he is in
Nissan as a company has acknowledged guilt in the case.
If convicted, Kelly could face up to 15 years in prison. A verdict is not expected for several months.
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