Carlos Ghosn has proclaimed his innocence in his first public appearance since the former Nissan chairman was arrested in November for alleged financial misconduct, reports The Guardian.
Dressed in a dark suit, but without a tie, Ghosn, who appeared to have lost weight during his 50 days in detention, told the Tokyo district court in a special hearing on Tuesday that he had been “wrongly accused” of under-reporting his salary for several years. He had been led into the courtroom in handcuffs, which were later removed.
“I have always acted with integrity and have never been accused of any wrongdoing in my several-decade professional career. I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations,” the 64-year-old, whose hair was greying at the roots, told a packed courtroom.
He added: “Contrary to the accusations made by the prosecutors, I never received any compensation from Nissan that was not disclosed, nor did I ever enter into any binding contract with Nissan to be paid a fixed amount that was not disclosed.”
His lawyer had demanded the court justify his client’s continued detention in connection with a case that has shaken the Japanese carmaker’s alliance with Renault and prompted criticism of Japan’s treatment of suspects.
Ghosn was first arrested on 19 November and later charged on suspicion of under-reporting his salary by 5bn yen ($44m) over five years until 2016 – allegedly to avoid accusations from Nissan staff that he was overpaid. He has consistently denied the allegations.