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What does ex-VW boss Martin Winterkorn have to say about the diesel scandal accusations? For the second day of his trial at the Braunschweig Regional Court, a longer defense statement is anticipated. Once he's done, the 77-year-old will share his perspective on his involvement in one of Germany's biggest industrial scandals.
The essential points from the three-part indictment presented by the prosecution have been apparent since the trial commenced. The prosecutors argue that Winterkorn was aware of emissions manipulation much earlier than he'd previously claimed. They allege that he was informed about the use of illicit software in the USA as early as May 2014.
Innocent until proven guilty
Winterkorn stands accused of betraying VW customers by concealing the true state of their vehicles with this knowledge. Additionally, the prosecutors claim that during the critical September days of 2015, he intentionally failed to alert the stock market in a timely manner about the risks of penalty payments. In 2017, it is said that he made false statements under oath before the parliamentary investigative committee. Innocent until proven guilty
Adopting a casually confident demeanor at the outset, the former top executive expressed his faith in the proceedings. His defense team asserted that he denies the allegations and "has not cheated" or "caused harm to anyone." "We are thoroughly convinced that all accusations against him can be disproven," said his lawyer, Felix Döhr. He doesn't anticipate more than 80 meetings to be required for this.
Resigned due to political responsibility
The regional court has set nearly 90 dates for the trial until September 2025. The emissions manipulation on millions of VW vehicles was exposed in September 2015, following investigations by US environmental authorities and scientists. This catapulted VW into its worst crisis to date. Winterkorn resigned, but he wanted this action to be perceived only as an acceptance of political responsibility.
Despite the prolonged trial, Winterkorn's legal team maintains that the Manufacture of motor vehicles was not directly implicated in the emissions scandal. They argue that Winterkorn's role, if any, was limited to the managerial aspect of the company.
In the course of the trial, the German automaker Volkswagen has taken significant steps towards rectifying the issues stemming from the scandal, focusing on improving its Manufacture of motor vehicles to adhere to stricter emission standards.
