. 24/7 Space News .
CAR TECH
Main points of Carlos Ghosn's press conference
by Staff Writers
Beirut (AFP) Jan 8, 2020

Fugitive ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn mounted a feisty defence Wednesday in Beirut, where he made his first public appearance since skipping bail in Japan 10 days ago.

He skirted the conditions of his escape but tackled most questions during a news conference that lasted more than two hours. Herewith the main points:

- How did he escape? -

Media outlets have reported a variety of colourful details about his escape from bail, including how he had boarded a bullet train, hid in a box and switched private jets on his way to Lebanon.

"I will not talk about how I managed to leave Japan," he said, refusing to reveal the details of his Houdini act.

He stopped short of answering when he was asked: "Can you recommend a travel case as a means of travel?"

- Why skip bail? -

The former Renault-Nissan boss said he wanted to clear his name and felt he had "no choice" but to escape, because he had been "presumed guilty" in Japan, whose judiciary he said was "rigged".

Ghosn said he decided to escape "when I lost any hope of a fair trial and when I noticed the trial constantly postponed".

He said it had become clear he risked remaining in Japan for five years before a verdict was handed down.

"I am innocent of all the charges... I left Japan because I wanted justice," said Ghosn, who was arrested in November 2018 and faces several counts of financial misconduct.

"I felt I was a hostage of a country that I served for 17 years," Ghosn explained, adding that the other main reason for attempting an escape was that he missed his wife.

There was "no sign of removing the ban from seeing my wife," he said.

- Detention conditions -

Describing conditions in his detention cell in Japan, he said: "130 days in prison, solitary confinement, a tiny cell without windows, lights (on) day and night."

He said he was "interrogated day and night... up to 8 hours, obviously without the presence of a lawyer".

He was allowed to shower only twice a week, and could go out for 30 minutes a day, except on weekends.

- Nissan-Renault decline -

Ghosn claimed that the automotive alliance's economic performance had tanked since his arrest and piled scorn on his successors.

"It is difficult to say who is the winner of this," he said of the 13-month-old judicial saga. "In 2017 the alliance was the number one automotive group... growing, profitable, with a clear vision for the future."

He said the alliance was now all but dead and marvelled at how Nissan-Renault failed to follow through with a once much-anticipated merger with Fiat Chrysler.

"The alliance missed the unmissable," he said. "It's unbelievable that this didn't happen."

He claimed that Nissan had been losing $40 million a day since his arrest and Renault around $20 million.

When asked what he would do to boost the ailing auto alliance, he said: "What I would do is completely different from what's being done."

- Carole -

Ghosn spoke of his ordeal and how not seeing his wife in Japan was a key reason for escaping.

"I received my sister, my kids, my friends but not my wife. Why? Because they wanted to break me," he said. "I felt like I was not human anymore... I have to explain why I want to talk with my wife."

"Maybe for a lot of people it would have been not a punishment not to see their wife, but for me it was," he joked.

- Versailles -

Fielding questions from journalists, he defended the parties thrown at the Versailles castle, arguing that foreigners are "dazzled by Versailles".

On the party that was held for the alliance's 15th anniversary and that also coincided with his own birthday, he stressed it was a corporate function and the setting was selected because it embodied a French genius and is attractive to foreigners.

"It's not because we want to mimic Louis XIV or mimic Marie-Antoinette," he said.

- Cold, greedy dictator? -

Ghosn sought to counter the image of a ruthless tyrant conferred on him by some -- mostly Japanese -- media outlets since his arrest.

"In a minute, I was a cold, greedy dictator... a kind of mercenary: I was here for the money," he said.

"I like Japan, I like the people," Ghosn said, who went on to list his achievements and defend his commitment to the country where he spent nearly two decades.

"I revived Nissan," he said. "After the tsunami, I was the first foreigner to return to Japan," he claimed.

- His future -

Answering speculation in Lebanon that he might be a good fit as finance minister, or even Central Bank governor, he said he did not plan to enter politics.

"I'm not a politician, I have no political ambition," he said, adding however that he was ready to offer his experience and advice if he was asked to.

Slapped with an Interpol "red notice" requested by Japan, Ghosn said he was "ready to stay in Lebanon".

He also hinted that his news conference was only the beginning of a long process during which he will bring forward evidence of his innocence.

bur-od/jmm/ho/hkb

NISSAN MOTOR

FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES

Renault


Related Links
Car Technology at SpaceMart.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


CAR TECH
Hyundai to make flying cars for Uber air taxis
Las Vegas (AFP) Jan 7, 2020
Hyundai announced Monday it would mass produce flying cars for Uber's aerial rideshare network set to deploy in 2023. The South Korean manufacturer said it would produce the four-passenger electric "vertical take-off and landing vehicles" at "automotive scale," without offering details. The deal announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas could help Uber, which is working with other aircraft manufacturers, to achieve its goal of deploying air taxi service in a handful of cities by 20 ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

CAR TECH
NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Releases 2019 Annual Report

Update on Boeing's Orbital Flight Test

Toyota's 'woven' city, Samsung robot-ball: CES highlights

Chinese firms push ahead at CES despite trade war

CAR TECH
First NASA Artemis Rocket Core Stage loaded on Pegasus Barge

NASA prepares Artemis I SLS rocket stage for move to Pegasus Barge

China tests micro propulsion technology for space-based gravitational wave detection

Russia says first hypersonic missiles enter service

CAR TECH
Martian water could disappear faster than expected

Mars 2020 rover to seek ancient life, prepare human missions

NASA's trip to Mars begins in California 'clean room'

Promising progress for ExoMars parachutes

CAR TECH
China may have over 40 space launches in 2020

China launches powerful rocket in boost for 2020 Mars mission

China's Xichang set for 20 space launches in 2020

China sends six satellites into orbit with single rocket

CAR TECH
ESA and EDA joint research: advancing into the unknown

SpaceX launches another 60 satellite for Starlink constellation

SpaceX launches third batch of Starlink satellites

China's heaviest satellite positioned in geosynchronous orbit

CAR TECH
Air Force to cancel Raytheon contract for ground-based radar system

Study details how hydrogen causes embrittlement of steels

A new way to make chemicals by copying nature's tricks

China launches new communication technology experiment satellite

CAR TECH
Goldilocks stars are best places to look for life

A new tool for 'weighing' unseen planets

SDSU astronomers pinpoint two new 'Tatooine' planetary systems

New technique may give Webb Telescope new way to identify planets with oxygen

CAR TECH
Looking back at a New Horizons New Year's to remember

NASA's Juno navigators enable Jupiter cyclone discovery

The PI's Perspective: What a Year, What a Decade!

Reports of Jupiter's Great Red Spot demise greatly exaggerated









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.