Nov 21 (Japan Times) - Nissan Motor Co. employees reacted with anger, surprise and dismay Tuesday to the arrest the day before of charismatic Chairman Carlos Ghosn for allegedly underreporting his income.
Despite criticism directed at the 64-year-old Ghosn for his alleged long-running financial misconduct, some employees gave him credit for rescuing Nissan from the brink of bankruptcy in the 1990s and turning it around through drastic reforms.
The high-profile arrest also surprised Cabinet ministers, triggering calls for Nissan to take a fresh look at its system of governance that allowed the wrongdoing to take place.
At Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, many tight-lipped employees in suits shunned reporters' questions as they hurried into the building.
"It all comes down to one man's rule, after all," said a male worker who agreed to give his take on events.
Tokyo prosecutors arrested Ghosn on Monday, along with Nissan Representative Director Greg Kelly, on suspicion of underreporting the chairman's salary by around ¥5 billion ($44 million) over five years from 2011, or about half of the amount he earned.
