The ex-Nissan chairman said there had been a plan to integrate the company with Renault and Mitsubishi, discussed in September.
Carlos Ghosn has said that the criminal charges against him are a plot to stop him from pursuing greater integration across the Nissan-Mitsubishi-Renault alliance he led.
In his first interview since he was detained in Tokyo on November 19, the ex-Nissan chairman said there was a plan to integrate the three car manufacturing giants, which had been discussed with Nissan president Hiroto Saikawa in September.
After his arrest, Nissan revealed a series of allegations, including that he under-reported his income "over many years" and used the business's money for personal purposes.
Ghosn, 64, was charged with under-reporting his salary over several years, and aggravated breach of trust for allegedly transferring his personal trading losses from foreign exchange contracts over to Nissan.
The breach of rust charges relate to $14.7m (£11.2m) in payments to a company run by Saudi businessman Khaled al-Juffali.
The charges state that the alleged income offences took place over eight years.
Ghosn is also accused of receiving €7.82m (£6.82m) in improper payments through Nissan-Mitsubishi B.V, a Netherlands-based joint venture between the two Japanese companies.
He said the venture was established for "synergy and not for payment", adding that the claims of improper payments were a "distortion of reality."
Ghosn has insisted on his innocence since his arrest.
Speaking about the plan to integrate the three companies, the former Nissan chairman told the Japanese newspaper Nikkei that he wanted to ensure there would be "autonomy under one holding company."
French media has reported that Emmanuel Macron's government was keen for Renault to merge with Nissan to strengthen links beyond the 43% stake it holds in the Japanese car maker.
Nikkei reported that according to allies of Ghosn, some Nissan executives saw the proposed merger as an opportunity for him to extend his power within the company, which they responded to by co-operating with Tokyo prosecutors.
The Brazilian-born tycoon also rebuffed accusations that his 19-year term at Nissan had been a "dictatorship," insisting that it was a narrative created by rivals who wanted him ousted.
"People translated strong leadership to dictator, to distort reality for the "purpose of getting rid of me," he said.
"The executive in charge of the region signed [the approval]," he said.
The Nikkei interview reported that payment was made Ghosn's "CEO reserve" - a pot of money that he was free to decide how to spend.
He said the "CEO reserve is not a black box" and "four officers signed" for the payment to Mr al-Juffali.
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