The executive's arrest in November has exposed rifts between Renault and Nissan, which some analysts say was bristling at Ghosn's efforts to bring the two automakers' operations even closer together. Ghosn was the lynchpin of the three-way alliance, which also included Mitsubishi, earning industry plaudits for driving together a sometimes fractious threesome with headquarters 10,000km apart. Much of the tension between the partners stems from a complex ownership structure that gives Renault 43 per cent of Nissan, whereas Nissan owns just 15 per cent stake in the French company - and no voting rights.