Criminal trial commencement for ex-VW chief Winterkorn in deceitful diesel case at Braunschweig district court.
In the ninth year after the diesel emissions scandal surfaced, the legal proceedings against ex-Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn commence on a Tuesday (11:00 AM) at the Braunschweig Regional Court. At 77, Winterkorn stands accused of business and criminal deceit, perjury, and market manipulation. All charges stem from the utilization of deceptive software in diesel engines. (Case No. 16 KLs 75/19)
Winterkorn held the CEO position at VW from 2007 to 2015, eventually departing amidst the emissions scandal controversy. Faced with investigations led by U.S. authorities, VW admitted to the installation of unlawful defeat devices in vehicles worldwide in the tens of millions. These devices enabled the cars to meet emission standards during testing, but not in actual driving scenarios.
The indictment against Winterkorn mentions his position as the VW head during the period of deceptive practices. The deceptive software installed in VW vehicles, which is at the heart of the scandal, was developed under Winterkorn's leadership as the company's CEO.
