Fugitive former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has said he wants to stand trial on charges of financial wrongdoing in order to clear his name.
He spoke in an interview, after France issued an international warrant for his arrest, citing allegedly suspect payments.
Ghosn said he was “expecting” the move though he was “surprised at the timing”.
Ghosn faced charges of financial misconduct when he fled Japan in 2019.
The former head of Nissan, once one of the most powerful figures in the car industry, is currently unable to leave Lebanon, as he is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice issued by Japan.
He said: “I want to stand trial because that’s the only way I can get rid of the Red Notice which today forbids me from leaving Lebanon.”
He said he wanted a trial in Lebanon on the charges brought against him in Japan, and any that emerge from the French investigation – and was “totally confident” he could prove his innocence.
Prosecutors in France are investigating claims that Ghosn funnelled millions of euros from Renault through Suhail Bahwan Automobiles.
According to reports first published in the Wall Street Journal, he used the money for personal purchases including that of a 120-foot yacht.
An investigating magistrate in France has now issued five international arrest warrants against Ghosn and four people linked to a car distributor in Oman.
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