Nissan ex-boss Carlos Ghosn has accused former executives at the firm of "backstabbing" and said he is innocent of all charges against him.
He said he was victim of a "conspiracy" and appealed to have a fair trial in a pre-recorded video released at a news conference held by his legal team.
Mr Ghosn was arrested for a fourth time last week while out on bail awaiting a trial.
He faces charges of financial misconduct and breach of trust.
In the video message, the 65-year-old, who was first arrested in November, maintained his denial of any wrongdoing or misconduct.
"This is about a plot, this is about conspiracy, this is about backstabbing - that's what we are talking about," Mr Ghosn said.
"It happened because there was first a fear that the next step of the alliance... would in a certain way threaten some people or eventually threaten the autonomy of Nissan."
Mr Ghosn was the architect of the alliance between Nissan and French carmaker Renault, and brought Mitsubishi on board in 2016, the BBC reported.
The fall from grace for the industry titan has attracted global attention. It has also put a spotlight on fighting within the carmaker alliance and on Japan's legal system.
His wife Carole Ghosn has flown to France to ask the government there to intervene on her husband's behalf.