Carlos Ghosn stated Nissan executives opposed to his strategies for closer ties with automaking alliance Renault SA turned to “plot and as treason” to disrupt them as well as were behind the financial misbehavior accusations against him.
Talking to the Nikkei paper in his first media interview since his arrest in Japan on November 19, Ghosn stated he had gone over plans to integrate the companies with Nissan Chief Executive CEO Hiroto Saikawa in September.
However Nissan executives employed “plot and treason” to uproot those strategies, Ghosn stated.
Ghosn, who headed Nissan’s turnaround two years ago, had pushed for a much closer tie-up between Nissan and Renault, consisting of possibly a complete merger, despite strong reservations at the Japanese company.
He continues to be in detention following his arrest and indictment on charges associated to breach of trust and also downplaying his salary.
His arrest has shadowed the overview for deeper ties between Nissan and Renault, in addition to Mitsubishi Motors, the 3rd participant of the automaking alliance.
Since his apprehension, Saikawa has stated it was not the moment to discuss revising the partners’ complex capital ties. Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors have eliminated him as chairman, while he has resigned from the helm at Renault.
Ghosn rejected accusations of incorrect payments to a company run by a Saudi business owner, stating the settlement had been accepted by a Nissan executive.
Ghosn also called allegations by both Nissan and Mitsubishi that he obtained almost 8 million euros in inappropriate settlement via a Dutch-based joint venture of both automakers “a distortion of reality”, as well as argued his luxury residences in Rio de Janeiro and Beirut were authorized by Nissan’s legal division.
Nissan has stated it was not mindful that it had paid for a number of Ghosn’s properties. On Wednesday, a spokesperson stated that the company was not able to discuss Ghosn’s legal defense.
Ghosn, in the 20-minute meeting, rejected that his period at Nissan had actually been a “dictatorship”.
“People translated solid management to dictator, to distort reality” for the “purpose of eliminating me,” he stated.
Ghosn included that his health was fine, and that he wouldn’t flee if released on bail.
