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Ghosn denies allegations of financial wrong-doing

Ghosn denies allegations of financial wrong-doing

Ghosn "had no intention of falsifying the financial statements."

Ousted Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn denies the allegations of serious financial wrong-doing brought against him in the past few days, according to a Japanese media outlet.

Ghosn hasn't spoken directly to the media, and Nissan hasn't commented on his reaction to the charges, but Japanese news outlet NHK learned from unnamed sources that Ghosn insists he is innocent. He allegedly "told prosecutors in Tokyo that he had no intention of falsifying the financial statements," according to the website. The wording is interesting; Ghosn didn't deny his statements were falsified but merely said it wasn't intentional.

The same report claims Greg Kelly, a Nissan executive closely linked to the charges brought against Ghosn, claims he acted legally when he reported Ghosn's income. NHK wrote that Kelly -- who was also dismissed from Nissan -- "told people around him that he consulted other executive officers and outside accountants." Kelly is detained in Tokyo, like Ghosn, and he hasn't directly spoken to the media since his arrest.

In a separate report, NHK claimed one of Ghosn's former aides admitted Nissan's accounting department arranged post-retirement payouts for him. Anonymous once more, sources reportedly told prosecutors that Ghosn would receive the roughly $72 million difference between what he earned and what he declared to the Japanese authorities after his retirement in the form of bonuses and consulting fees.

Not enough evidence has been made public to tell what these new elements mean for Ghosn and his chances of getting exculpated. NHK notes Japanese law requires executives to report post-retirement payouts, something which Ghosn didn't do.