Ousted Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn is having his say.  He held a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon speaking publicly for the first time since his daring escape from Japan more than a week ago. Ghosn made a statement that reportedly lasted an hour.  Reuters reports Ghosn says he was treated brutally by Tokyo prosecutors and felt he would not receive a fair trial if he stayed in Japan.

In November 2018, Ghosn was arrested in Japan on allegations that include understating his income.  He’s credited with being the architect of the 20-year partnership between Nissan and Renault that now includes Mitsubishi Motors.

Bloomberg quotes Ghosn as saying, “These allegations are untrue and I should never have been arrested.”  They’re reporting Ghosn accuses Japanese prosecutors, government officials and Nissan executives of trying to remove him to prevent a closer partnership between Nissan and Renault.

Nissan issued a statement yesterday saying in part, “Nissan discovered numerous acts of misconduct by Ghosn through a robust, thorough internal investigation. The company determined that he was not fit to serve as an executive, and removed him from all offices.” 

Both Reuters and Bloomberg are reporting Tokyo prosecutors have now issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn’s wife Carole.