BEIRUT: Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has sued the company for more than $1 billion in a lawsuit filed to Lebanon’s public prosecutor last month, according to a copy of the lawsuit seen by Reuters.

The May 18 lawsuit accuses Nissan along with two other companies and 12 named individuals of crimes including defamation, slander and libel, and fabricating material evidence.

There was no immediate comment from Nissan.

Ghosn, once a titan of the global car industry, was arrested in Japan in late 2018 and charged with financial misconduct.

He denied the charge and said his detention was part of a plot by Nissan executives to block a merger. He escaped Japan hidden in a box aboard a private jet in December 2019, fleeing to Lebanon, his childhood home.

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Ghosn had been awaiting trial in Japan on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds - accusations he has repeatedly denied.

After arriving in Lebanon, Ghosn said he was escaping a “rigged” justice system in Japan and he aimed to clear his name.

A judicial source said a court session would take place on Sept. 18.