5 key takeaways from AP's interview with Carlos Ghosn

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, former star auto executive Carlos Ghosn shared his frustrations surrounding his stunning downfall and delved into his legal troubles in Japan, France and the Netherlands, his brazen escape from Japan and his new life trapped in Lebanon.

Here are five key takeaways from the encounter:

CLEARING HIS NAME

Ghosn says he is ready to be questioned by French investigative judges in Beirut next week. He is anxious to tell his side of the story and sees it as an opportunity to go on the record for the first time since his arrest in November 2018. The investigators intend to question him about payments he made as the head of Renault SA and other probes of alleged financial misconduct, and could hand him preliminary charges. The voluntary meetings are expected to take place at the Justice Palace in Beirut over a period of one week. Ghosn says he has prepared thoroughly with his lawyers and intends to submit supporting documents.

“COLLATERAL DAMAGE”

In the interview, Ghosn strongly defended former Nissan executive Greg Kelly, who was arrested with him and is now standing trial in Japan on charges of under-reporting Ghosn’s compensation. He described him, as well as two Americans who allegedly helped him escape and are now in a Japanese jail awaiting trial, as “collateral damage” in what he insists was an organized plot against him. Ghosn said he was not responsible for that. Kelly is “obviously innocent,” Ghosn said.

DUTCH DEFEAT

Ghosn said he will appeal a Dutch court’s decision ordering him to repay nearly 5 million euros ($6 million) in salary he received from an Amsterdam-based joint venture between Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in 2018. The ruling came in a case in which Ghosn sought to have his 2018 sacking from...