What's the news?
Carlos Ghosn has spoken out against Nissan management in a video message released by his legal team.
Currently detained in Japan, Ghosn had taken to Twitter earlier this month to announce a press conference where to planned to tell the truth about the situation regarding his arrest by Japanese authorities and his subsequent removal from the management board of the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance for alleged financial misconduct. Immediately following his tweet, Ghosn was re-arrested on further charges and currently remains in custody.
In the video address, he first declares that his love for Japan and Nissan remains untainted despite the current situation. He declares: "I am innocent of all the charges that have been brought against me. And I'm also innocent of all the accusations that came around the charges, that are all based, taken out of context, twisted in a way to paint a personage of greed and a personage of dictatorship". Ghosn then goes on to describe the 'backstabbing' plot against him that arose from a fear that the Alliance, which includes Renault and Mitsubishi, would threaten the autonomy of Nissan.
"I have been the fiercest defender of the autonomy of Nissan", says Ghosn, adding that it must be based on performance. He adds: "When you look at the mediocre performance of the company, with a lack of vision for the future and the Alliance it is sad and sickening for me."
"The performance of Nissan is declining, there is no vision of the Alliance being built", adds Ghosn, describing his worry at the direction of the company.
He ends the message by expressing his wish for a fair trial but concedes that his legal defence does not share as much serenity [as he does] regarding the trial.
Anything else?
It is alleged that Carlos Ghosn grossly underreported his income and misused company assets for his own personal benefit during this time in charge. These are alleged to include the purchase of properties in Amsterdam, Beirut, Paris and Rio de Janeiro for this personal use as well several private jets, three of which are believed to have been kept hidden from the company.
When Ghosn took charge at Nissan, following a successful turnaround at Renault, he quickly became a superstar in Japan and enjoyed celebrity status far beyond that of a typical automotive executive. Under Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Act he could face up to ten years in prison.
You can watch the full video message here:
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