Nissan ex-chairman Carlos Ghosn has said his arrest in Japan was the result of a "plot and treason" against him, reports the BBC.
He was speaking in his first interview since his arrest in November on financial misconduct charges.
Mr Ghosn said some Nissan executives wanted to stop his plan to integrate Renault, the French car firm he headed, with its Japanese alliance partners, Nissan and Mitsubishi.
He said the plan had been discussed with Nissan boss Hiroto Saikawa.
Mr Ghosn is still being held in a Tokyo detention centre pending trial.
The executive was the architect of the Renault-Nissan alliance and brought Mitsubishi on board in 2016.
After his arrest, he was sacked as chairman of Nissan and Mitsubishi. He resigned from his posts as chairman and chief executive of Renault earlier this month.