Ghosn – Muzzled – Bites Back After Nissan Board Ouster

Video by former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn is shown during a news conference by his lawyers at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo.

In a video shown to reporters today in Tokyo by Carlos Ghosn’s lawyers, the former Nissan Motor Co. chairman and ousted board member claimed he was the victim of rivals trying to stop a closer alliance between the automaker and French partner Renault.

“This is not about greed or dictatorship, this is about a plot, this is about a conspiracy, this is about a backstabbing,” Ghosn said. “I am innocent of all the charges that have been brought against me,” he said.

The video was apparently edited to remove the names of the conspirators and other potential legal – if legal can be used when applied to Japanese ‘law’ – problems. Two of the obvious Nissan execs to look at are Hiroto Saikawa, President, who among others, came under shareholder scrutiny for his protested innocence of having any knowledge of the scandal even though he was one of Ghosn’s “right hand men…” (translated from the Japanese and following). Saikawa punted to Toshiyuki Shiga, a director whose relationship with Ghosn goes back to the original Renault bailout and revival plan of the bankrupt Nissan. He said it took him time to digest what had happened. “It was hard to believe.. gradually heard the findings of the internal investigation.. I had to accept it as a fact… I was in a state of soul searching…” Shiga, 65, was COO of the since 2005 and also served under Ghosn as vice chairman through 2017. He is not planning to not seek re-election when his term expires in June.

Stay tuned the saga is far from over.