Defiant car magnate Ghosn hits back against Japanese 'plot'

Fugitive auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn on Wednesday accused Nissan and Japanese prosecutors of plotting against him as he staged an impassioned defence at his first public appearance since fleeing the country.

In a combative news conference in Beirut, the former Renault-Nissan boss -- one of the world's most high-profile corporate executives -- slammed the financial misconduct charges he faced in Japan as "baseless".

"The collusion between Nissan and prosecutors is everywhere," Ghosn told a large crowd of journalists at an appearance that lasted more than two hours during which he fielded questions in English, French, Arabic and Portuguese.

"There was no way I was going to be treated fairly ... this was not about justice. I felt I was a hostage of the country that I have served for 17 years," he said.

Ghosn accused prosecutors and Nissan, one of Japan's biggest carmakers, of "systematic leaking of false information" and "intentional withholding" of important facts related to the case.

That meant he was "presumed guilty before the eyes of the world and subject to a system whose only objective is to coerce confessions, secure guilty pleas," he added.

Japanese prosecutors quickly hit back, slamming Ghosn's claims as "categorically false".

"Ghosn's allegations completely ignore his own conduct, and his one-sided criticism of the Japanese justice system is totally unacceptable," the Tokyo prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The car magnate -- for years venerated in Japan for turning around once-ailing Nissan -- fled while awaiting trial on charges including allegedly under-reporting his compensation to the tune of USD 85 million.

Ghosn said he had "no choice" but to jump bail, adding he was told by his lawyers he would have to wait five years for a verdict.

He said he had been "ripped" from friends and family when detained.

In a comment that risked causing further upset in Japan, he suggested his arrest had been as unexpected as the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1941.

"I didn't suspect anything ... Did you see Pearl Harbour happening?"