(CNN) — Carlos Ghosn, the former head of Nissan and Renault, said on Friday that the timing of France’s issuance of an arrest warrant for him was “surprising.”
“Announcing such news in a politically charged period seems surprising,” Ghosn added in an interview with French channel BFMTV collaborating with CNN, but he did not elaborate.
Earlier on Friday, the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Nanterre, near Paris, issued an international arrest warrant for Ghosn.
The former head of Nissan and Renault, who learned regarding the memo through the press, said he was ready to “defend himself following gathering enough elements for justice to be served”, adding: “Not a penny from Renault, nor from Nissan, has been given.” inappropriately, directly or indirectly.
Ghosn had hoped to “one day return to France”, claiming that even if he wanted to travel, the Lebanese judiciary would not allow him to do so.
The Brazilian-born Lebanese businessman, who holds French citizenship, fled Japan to Lebanon in 2019.
Carlos Ghosn stated: “There is a presumption of innocence on the one hand, and on the other hand, there are basic human rights that were not respected in Japan and I hope they will be in France.”
