Fugitive and ex-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn isn't done talking. It appears he's just getting started.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Ghosn told his defense attorney Nobuo Gohara, a former prosecutor, that "Nissan will go bankrupt in two to three years."
Ghosn reportedly made the ominous statement during more than 10 hours of interviews in 2019 before skipping bail and being smuggled out of Japan in a large box with holes cut into it.
Ghosn didn't provide any specific reasons to Gohara, who said he and the former executive met five times during a two-month period before Ghosn fled to Lebanon.
Gohara said he had permission from Ghosn to share details of their conversations.
Earlier this month, Ghosn held an odd 2.5-hour press conference in which he revealed he fled Japan because he didn't feel he'd receive a fair trial.
During that press conference, Ghosn said he'd be open to standing trial in a country other than Japan, "I have to clear my name...that's something that's important to me."
This bizarre saga began in 2018 when Ghosn was arrested. The charges included lying to investors about his salary and deferring private losses to the company's books. After his arrest, Ghosn was held in jail in Japan for months during which time he was fired from the Renault-Mitsubishi-Nissan alliance he ran.
Ghosn has professed his innocence since his arrest.
Nissan is in the midst of a product overhaul. New Versa and Sentra small cars were launched recently, and a refreshed Titan pickup truck and a new all-electric small crossover SUV are waiting in the wings. A new Z car may also be coming in the next few years.
Ghosn has said he plans to stay in Lebanon, which has no extradition agreement with Japan, while he attempts to clear his name. Travel could be difficult for the ex-executive as Japan has asked Interpol for its help in bringing Ghosn back to Japan.
