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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2020/jan/08/gold-oil-as-us-iran-markets-carlos-ghosn-nissan-escape-business-live
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| Carlos Ghosn claims to be victim of 'Pearl Harbor' plot - business live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news | Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news |
| Carlos Ghosn is now denying that there was anything irregular in the “CEO reserve” payments at the heart of the fraud charges against him. | |
| Pointing to a financial statement, he insists that he couldn’t use these funds for illicit purposes. | |
| Last year, Reuters revealed how Ghosn and close associates spent money from a fund that some insiders dubbed ‘the CEO Reserve’ to help pay for residences used by the Ghosn family as well as for other personal expenses. | |
| Ghosn now produces another plank of his defence -- even if one was guilty of such financial misconduct charges, no other country would punish them so harshly as Japan. | |
| Not that he is admitting any guilt, of course. | |
| Carlos Ghosn is now defending his decision to flee Japan, claiming he was effectively a hostage. | |
| He says he was told he faced a five year wait before a judgement would be made on his fraud charges - giving him a choice between dying in Japan or escaping. | |
| He’s also furious about the way he was portrayed. | |
| Nissan was “in the dirt” before my arrival, Ghosn says, and now he am described as “a cold, greedy dictator”. | |
| Carlos Ghosn has now been speaking without interruption for 30 minutes -- speaking passionately about his (claimed) innocence, and slamming Japan’s legal system. | |
| He’s now claiming that the whole arrest was staged, and that there is collusion between Nissan and the prosecutor -- who is effectively the judge, he blasts. | |
| Ghosn is now explaining how he was arrested last year. | |
| He slams the “bullshit” claim that he was arrested on a plane, insisting that he was apprehended going through airport security. | |
| In a highly provocative, and distasteful move, Ghosn is comparing this alleged plot to remove him to the Pearl Harbor attacks! | |
| He says his friends have asked how he didn’t notice he was being set up -- and he reminds them how the Japanese air force caught the Americans by surprise in 1941. | |
| That is going to cause fury in Japan, we suspect. | |
| Ghosn also claims that Japanese government officials were involved in this plot to get rid of him. | |
| But, pressing his hands together in prayer, Ghosn says he is “imposing silence” on himself on this issue, as he doesn’t want to hurt the Lebanese people or their government..... | |
| After that vigorous defence, Ghosn is getting down to details, and outlining his theory for why he ended up being arrested on fraud charges. | |
| Ghosn says the plot against him was triggered by Nissan’s declining performance at the start of 2017. He blames Hiroto Saikawa, the former CEO, for this. | |
| He explains that there was big bitterness in Japan about the links between Nissan and Renault, which gave the French carmaker some influence over Nissan. | |
| Unfortunately there was no trust in the partnership, Ghosn continues. | |
| Some Nissan insiders concluded that the only way to get rid of Renault’s influence on Nissan is to get rid of me, and they were right, he adds. | |
| So who cooked up this plot? | |
| Ghosn says Saikawa was obviously part of it, along with whistleblower Hari Nada. He also names Masakazu Toyoda, Nissan director, as a key link. | |
| Ghosn blames “unscrupulous, vindictive individuals” at Nissan and its legal firm Latham and Watkins for launching the legal charges against him. | Ghosn blames “unscrupulous, vindictive individuals” at Nissan and its legal firm Latham and Watkins for launching the legal charges against him. |
| I am not above the law, he insists -- but had no choice but to escape Japan because its legal system and its 99% conviction rate. | I am not above the law, he insists -- but had no choice but to escape Japan because its legal system and its 99% conviction rate. |
| Choosing to escape was the most difficult decision of my life, he continues. | Choosing to escape was the most difficult decision of my life, he continues. |
| But as the charges against him are “baseless” he had “no other choice” but to protect himself and his family. | But as the charges against him are “baseless” he had “no other choice” but to protect himself and his family. |
| Carlos Ghosn turns to Greg Kelly, his former aide who was also arrested last year -- and remains in custody. | Carlos Ghosn turns to Greg Kelly, his former aide who was also arrested last year -- and remains in custody. |
| Ghosn says that Kelly has been persecuted because he refused to sign up to a plea bargaining deal, alongside Hari Nada- a senior vice-president at Nissan who blew the whistle on Ghosn. | Ghosn says that Kelly has been persecuted because he refused to sign up to a plea bargaining deal, alongside Hari Nada- a senior vice-president at Nissan who blew the whistle on Ghosn. |
| Kelly is a “victim of the system” and an honourable man, “with no release date in sight”, Ghosn says, asking the media to remember him. | Kelly is a “victim of the system” and an honourable man, “with no release date in sight”, Ghosn says, asking the media to remember him. |
| Carlos Ghosn says he won’t reveal how he escaped from Japan -- and you can feel the wave of disappointment rippling through the press conference. | Carlos Ghosn says he won’t reveal how he escaped from Japan -- and you can feel the wave of disappointment rippling through the press conference. |
| Instead, he is going to outline how he is innocent, and how the charges should never have been brought. | Instead, he is going to outline how he is innocent, and how the charges should never have been brought. |
| He thanks his family, his wife Carole (cue some applause), his friends and his lawyers. | He thanks his family, his wife Carole (cue some applause), his friends and his lawyers. |
| And he takes another swipe at Japan, saying baseless media attacks had been orchestrated by Japanese authorities. | And he takes another swipe at Japan, saying baseless media attacks had been orchestrated by Japanese authorities. |
| Carlos Ghosn says his imprisonment went against United Nations standards. | Carlos Ghosn says his imprisonment went against United Nations standards. |
| Ghosn is laying into the Japanese criminal justice system, saying he was interrogated for up to eight hours a day without a lawyer present, and without knowing what evidence was held against him. | Ghosn is laying into the Japanese criminal justice system, saying he was interrogated for up to eight hours a day without a lawyer present, and without knowing what evidence was held against him. |
| It is impossible to express the depths of my deprivation, he declares. | It is impossible to express the depths of my deprivation, he declares. |
| Ghosn claims investigators threatened him, saying things would get even worse if he didn’t confess. He had no contact with his family, apart from through letters. | Ghosn claims investigators threatened him, saying things would get even worse if he didn’t confess. He had no contact with his family, apart from through letters. |
| The feeling of hopelessness was profound, he adds, hitting out at prosecutors for re-arresting him after he was released on bail the first time last year. | The feeling of hopelessness was profound, he adds, hitting out at prosecutors for re-arresting him after he was released on bail the first time last year. |
| Carlos Ghosn begins by welcoming the press to today’s event. | Carlos Ghosn begins by welcoming the press to today’s event. |
| As you can imagine, today is a very important day for me, he says. | As you can imagine, today is a very important day for me, he says. |
| Ghoshn says he has looked forward to it for 400 days, since he was taken into custody in Japan and “brutally” taken away from his family, his friends and his company. | Ghoshn says he has looked forward to it for 400 days, since he was taken into custody in Japan and “brutally” taken away from his family, his friends and his company. |
| Ghosn is being introduced now - here’s a live feed. | Ghosn is being introduced now - here’s a live feed. |
| And here’s the scene inside: | And here’s the scene inside: |
| Here’s the scene outside the press conference a few minute ago: | Here’s the scene outside the press conference a few minute ago: |