by Daniel Leussink and Norihiko Shirouzu
(Reuters) – Nissan has installed a CCTV system at the home of its former deputy chief executive Ashwani Gupta in early evidence of an investigation into espionage charges, two sources familiar with the matter said.
The Japanese automaker, a Renault partner, has opened an investigation after a senior adviser accused the group’s chief executive, Makoto Uchida, of having his outgoing deputy Ashwani Gupta monitored, Reuters reported on Saturday.
Nissan executives were briefed on the first elements of the investigation by US law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell during a June 20 board meeting at the group’s headquarters in Yokohama, the two said. sources.
According to these first elements, Nissan installed two security camera systems at the entrance of AshwaniGupta’s home located in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, they added.
The first system was for a private security company while the second was set up for Nissan’s internal security department to monitor AshwaniGupta, the sources detailed.
The law firm’s report does not mention whether Nissan’s use of cameras to monitor Ashwani Gupta was illegal, or whether the former executive was aware of the monitoring, the sources said.
Reuters was unable to determine when the cameras were installed or the name of the private security company.
The final report on the investigation, which began in late May at the request of Nissan’s independent directors, is expected as early as July, the two sources said.
Nissan said it could not comment on the ongoing investigation and declined to make its executives available for comment.
Davis Polk & Wardwell did not respond to a request for comment.
Renault and Nissan announced in February a restructuring of their alliance founded twenty years earlier, with a rebalancing of their cross-shareholdings and the possibility that Nissan will take up to 15% of the future Ampere electric entity of the diamond group.
According to a source familiar with Renault’s position, the French manufacturer’s management considered Ashwani Gupta, as well as the internal quarrels at the top of Nissan, as a brake on the finalization of the new alliance agreements, which have not yet date not yet signed.
(Reporting Daniel Leussink in Tokyo and Norihiko Shirouzu in Austin, Texas; with contributions from Maki Shiraki in Tokyo; Blandine Hénault for the , editing by Kate Entringer)
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