Automaker Renault removes CEO who replaced Carlos Ghosn

Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Renault's board of directors on Friday removed Thierry Bollore as the auto company's chief executive, in another management shift following a scandal involving former CEO Carlos Ghosn.

Renault elevated Chief Financial Officer Clotilde Delbos as CEO on an interim basis and named Olivier Murguet and Jose Vincente de los Mozos deputy managing directors. Jean-Dominique Senard also took over as president of Renault SAS on an interim basis, the company said.

Delbos joined Renault in 2012 as controller and was appointed alliance global director two years later. In April, she was named executive vice president and chief financial officer and took over internal control.

Bollore, who became Renault CEO in January, after Ghosn's arrest last year, was viewed by some as a supporter of the former auto executive.

Some at Renault-owned Nissan believe Bollore didn't move quickly enough to investigate Ghosn after details of the scandal emerged in 2017. Japanese authorities say Ghosn diverted company funds to a Saudi businessman and underreported compensation by millions while he was CEO at Nissan.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last month settled fraud charges against Nissan and Ghosn over false financial disclosures to hide more than $140 million in retirement funds.

Nissan agreed to pay a $15 million civil penalty and Ghosn $1 million. The former Nissan CEO and chairman is barred from serving in similar executive roles for a period of 10 years.

Wife Carole Ghosn told UPI in July she feels Japanese authorities are trying to "break" her husband in custody, and called Tokyo's an "abusive justice system."

"It's a nightmare for us. Our world was turned upside down," she said.

Ghosn is expected to stand trial on the charges later this year.