While the former CEO of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn is currently in jail, his lawyer and communication team has released a video statement in which Ghosn claims that there is a conspiracy against him. The 7-minute video was shot hours before his latest arrest. Ghosn said:
“If you are listening to me through this video today, it means that I was not able to make the press conference that I planned for April 11.”
Before his re-arrest, Ghosn took advantage of every minute he had. He created a new Twitter account, was interviewed by multiple journalists, wrote a statement and recorded this video message.
“I’m 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 biased, taken out of context, twisted in a way to paint a personnage of greed and a personnage of dictatorship.”
The prosecutors currently suspect Ghosn of misappropriating company funds for personal use. According to the allegations, he used Nissan funds to buy a yacht and invest in a San Francisco-based startup founded by his son.
Related: Carlos Ghosn Arrested Again in Japan
Ghosn didn’t say anything about the latest allegations against him. Most of the video focuses on his relationship with Nissan for nearly two decades. Ghosn further said:
“The third point that I want to tell you is that this is a conspiracy. This is not about specific events. This is not about — again — greed. This is not about dictatorship. This is about a plot. This is about conspiracy. This is about back-stabbing. That’s what we’re talking about.”
According to him, Nissan executives want more autonomy for the car manufacturer. Ghosn thinks they feared Nissan would be deeply integrated with Renault. He also claims that he’s always been defending the autonomy of Nissan.
Ghosn also reflected on the Nissan’s dismal performance, recent profit warnings and emissions scandals. When he’d approached executives about what was going wrong:
“The company would say the problems were fixed when they were not fixed. This is where we had a problem with the management.”
Ghosn is keen to show that Nissan’s leadership, led by the chief executive Hiroto Saikawa, had a motive for ousting him. However putting aside all of the blame and counter-blame, Ghosn is right to focus on Nissan’s business, and the recent damage to its brand and shareholder value.
Related: New Cases Exposed for Nissan’s Improper Vehicle Testing
This video message has been released days after his arrest. It feels like Ghosn’s legal team is running a campaign to improve his chances for his trial. Towards the end of the video, Ghosn said:
“Finally, what I would like to say is that my big hope, my biggest wish is to have a fair trial.”
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
