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Now it's the court's turn: Nearly nine years after the Volkswagen (VW) diesel scandal made headlines, the ex-CEO Martin Winterkorn is set to face scrutiny in a German criminal court. The 77-year-old is charged with fraud, market manipulation, and perjury. The indictment reading is scheduled for 11:00 AM at the Regional Court of Braunschweig. With a trial this late, what can still be achieved?
In 2015, the dieselgate scandal, involving emissions cheating in millions of VW vehicles, was exposed by U.S. environmental authorities and scientists. The scandal sent VW into its worst crisis ever, costing billions in legal fees. Winterkorn stepped down and admitted his name was linked to the diesel scandal, but he maintained he wasn't personally responsible. He's entitled to the presumption of innocence.
In early 2024, Winterkorn testified as a witness in court for the first time: "I consider these accusations baseless," he said during a billion-dollar civil trial by VW investors at the Higher Regional Court of Braunschweig. Winterkorn was responding to two criminal fraud and market manipulation cases by the Braunschweig Public Prosecutor's Office, and false testimony charges from Berlin prosecutors.
The Regional Court has scheduled around 90 trial dates from early 2024 to September 2025. Recent health reports about Winterkorn have raised doubts about his ability to attend each trial in Lower Saxony, which requires him to travel almost weekly from Bavaria.
Will this trial finally provide the detailed clarification Winterkorn promised in his 2015 apology video? "Even I don't have answers to all the questions now," he said then. It seems unlikely that the former CEO has new insights to share with the economic criminal chamber in Braunschweig.
Despite past fines, verdicts, and settlements regarding the diesel scandal, key details about Wolfsburg carmaker operations remain a mystery. The first major fraud trial against four other ex-VW managers and engineers also didn't yield significant insights after three years of proceedings. Winterkorn was originally slated for that trial in 2021, but his case was separated due to health reasons and is now being addressed.
Despite being charged with fraud, market manipulation, and perjury in Germany, Winterkorn's trial in the Regional Court of Braunschweig raises questions about what can still be achieved nine years after the diesel scandal involving Volkswagen. Regardless of the outcome, the trial in Braunschweig may not provide the detailed clarification that Winterkorn promised in his 2015 apology video, as key details about Volkswagen's operations in the diesel scandal remain a mystery, even after previous fines, verdicts, and settlements.
