Ghosn Pushes Back on Audit Said to Turn Up $12 Million Costs

Carlos Ghosn and others flagged by an audit of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA’s Dutch joint venture disputed findings of dubious expenses, saying their actions were proper and questioning the motivation of those who had shared the details to the media.

The audit, carried out by the French firm Mazars, highlighted 10.9 million euros ($12.2 million) in spending that went toward trips to the Cannes film festival, Rio de Janeiro Carnival and flights on a corporate jet that may have been personal in nature rather than related to Ghosn’s responsibilities, people familiar with the matter said. It also concluded that the Amsterdam-based RNBV venture lacked oversight, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private findings.