Diesel controversy: Criminal trial to establish accountability of former VW CEO Winterkorn
Until the eleventh hour, it wasn't certain if the ailing 77-year-old would show up, as his trial had been postponed numerous times. The retired CEO, who left in 2015 amidst the "dieselgate" scandal, is facing charges of business and criminal deceit, perjury, and manipulating the stock market. The primary charge is severe - Winterkorn could spend a decade behind bars if found guilty.
The court consolidated three distinct accusations, each tied to fraudulent software installed in countless diesel engines. This software tricked emissions tests into displaying lower emissions levels, but in actual driving, the cars couldn't meet the standards and should not have been cleared for sale.
Upon entering the courtroom, Winterkorn was reserved and only uttered, "I'm doing quite well." When inquired about his legacy, he remarked, "I fondly admire the cars." He won't address the court today. "We'll see," he replied when asked his views on the trial.
Subsequently, Winterkorn didn't utter another word. Instead, he listened carefully to the lengthy first indictment and attended to the shorter second one before the break. "Quite substantial" is the material, a court spokesperson said prior, anticipating a lengthy trial. Ninety trial dates have been scheduled until September the following year.
Winterkorn's attorney, Felix Dörr, asserted that Winterkorn "rejects the accusations against him." "We are positive that all accusations against him can be disproven," he added during a break in the proceedings. "Thus, we are actually looking forward to the trial with calmness." They also believe the trial won't stretch into the following year.
As per the attorney's statements, Winterkorn will speak about the accusations against him on Wednesday. Dörr also claimed that Winterkorn is "doing quite well" and he and his defense team are confident that he can manage the trial.
Over time, Winterkorn has constantly maintained that he neither instructed nor knew about the prohibited defeat devices. When VW confessed to the fraud in September 2015 after American investigations, Winterkorn relinquished his post.
However, as revealed in Tuesday's fraud accusal, Winterkorn is accused of knowing about the use of the banned software "at the very least in May 2014" and failed to intervene to halt the vehicles. Furthermore, advertising was spread for the affected vehicles, boasting them as extremely eco-friendly, "with the consent and intention of the accused," to produce "substantial profits" for the company, including bonuses.
Additionally, Winterkorn must explain why he allegedly provided false testimony in a parliamentary inquiry in 2017. More so, he is indicted for suspected market manipulation, as he is accused of "purposely not informing the stock market promptly" about the illegal defeat devices and anticipated financial risks, despite being cognizant of them. Volkswagen only released a compulsory notification to shareholders after the scandal went public.
In the indictment, Winterkorn is accused of overseeing cars equipped with software that deceitfully reported lower emissions levels, despite failing to meet standards in real-world driving ['cars, defrauding emissions tests by reporting lower emissions levels of a fat content, by weight']. The attorney declared that Winterkorn will address these accusations during the trial on Wednesday ['Winterkorn will speak about the accusations of defrauding emissions tests by reporting lower emissions levels of a fat content, by weight, on Wednesday'].
