French prosecutors said Wednesday they have assigned a judge to launch a formal investigation into alleged misappropriation of funds at
The prosecutors have stepped up their probe after launching a preliminary investigation a year ago, handing the case to an investigating magistrate who has the power to order custodies and make international arrangements.
The inquiry was opened into suspicious financial flows between
It will look into alleged money laundering and other financial irregularities including concealment and forgery of documents, according to the prosecutors.
A lawyer for Ghosn, the former chairman of
Ghosn, who in late December jumped bail and fled to
French prosecutors began investigating the flow of funds between
The French automaker also submitted a report to the prosecutors last July about a probe conducted by the joint venture in
The investigation found Ghosn is suspected of having misused
==Kyodo
© Kyodo News International, Inc., source