Carlos Ghosn tweets he is ‘ready to tell the truth’ in first public appearance since facing financial misconduct charges
Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has taken to Twitter to vow he will “tell the truth” at a news conference next week ahead of trial on charges of financial misconduct.
Read more: Ghosn lawyers request separate trial from Nissan
Ghosn will address the media in his first news conference since being released on a $9m (£6.8m) bail, and he said on Twitter: “I'm getting ready to tell you the truth about what's going on. I'm having a press conference on Thursday, April 11th.”
The post came hours after reports that prosecutors are preparing fresh charges against the car industry magnate.
Ghosn is not allowed to use the internet under the terms of his bail, but it is possible someone may have tweeted for him from his @carlosghosn account, created this month.
The manufacturing titan was arrested in Tokyo last November and is accused of failing to report arond $82m in pay and even transferring personal losses onto Nissan’s books.
He is also charged with moving $14.7m in funds to a Saudi businessman.
Ghosn denies the charges, claiming he is merely the victim of a boardroom coup and calling the charges “meritless”.
His arrest and the charges against him have shaken the foundations of the Nissan-Renault alliance he helped forge.
Japan prosecutors are set to open a fresh case against Ghosn, according to the Yomiuri newspaper over suspect payments allegedly made to a business partner in Oman.
Ghosn’s spokesman has previously dismissed $32m payments over nine years as being made as rewards for Oman’s performance as a Nissan dealer.
The businessman secured bail at the third time of asking last month with a new lawyer, nicknamed The Razor.
Read more: Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn had 'too much power'
He was pictured emerging from a Tokyo detention centre wearing a face mask, for which his lawyer later apologised, explaining it was a poor attempt at a disguise.