Proton suspends Lotus chief

Malaysian national car maker Proton has suspended the head of its loss-making British sports car maker Lotus.

Proton says Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar has been suspended pending an investigation into a complaint about his conduct.

Proton’s chairman Mohamad Khamil Jamil also said that conglomerate DRB-Hicom, which acquired Proton in a recent deal, would not sell Lotus as it can still provide value to Proton.

DRB-Hicom announced a 3 billion ringgit (€755m) takeover of Proton in January.

Analysts said the deal might boost struggling Proton but losses at Lotus could hamper its turnaround.