Winterkorn exhibits a positive demeanor, unveils a declaration
Volkswagen's historical crisis resurfaces with terms like diesel engines, acoustic function, and software manipulation. Nine years following the emissions scandal, Martin Winterkorn, former CEO, now faces trial as a defendant. The Brunswick economic crimes court will scrutinize his role as Volkswagen's leader between 2007 and 2015. He's set to deliver a statement on the trial's second day.
"I'm holding up well today," Winterkorn shared before the trial commenced. Despite visible signs of multiple surgeries, the once wealthiest manager in the country displayed courage, both externally and within the courtroom. His lawyer, Felix Dorr, announced Winterkorn's stance, stating, "Our client strongly denies the accusations against him." Dorr expressed confidence in acquitting their client with a favorable outcome. The defense exonerates Winterkorn, claiming he neither cheated nor caused harm.
Fraud, Market Manipulation, Perjury Allegations
The "Dieselgate" scandal, involving emissions manipulation in millions of Volkswagen vehicles, surfaced in September 2015. US environmental authorities and researchers unearthed the cheating software, either as acoustic function or switch logic. This scandal expense Volkswagen over 32 billion euros in litigation costs alone. Winterkorn stepped down shortly following the revelations but maintained his innocence in the matter.
In this trial, Winterkorn is accused of commercial fraud, market manipulation, and perjury. The prosecution accuses him of having deceived vehicle buyers about the cars’ true characteristics, while purposely neglecting to inform the capital market about the potential risks of substantial penalty charges during the critical days of September 2015. In 2017, he allegedly provided dishonest testimony before the German parliamentary investigative committee. The presumption of innocence still stands.
According to the Brunswick prosecution, Winterkorn had knowledge of emissions manipulation far earlier than he initially claimed. With the first indictment, it was alleged that Winterkorn was informed about the use of illicit software in the U.S. as early as May 2014. The reading of the initial fraud allegations alone took nearly one-and-a-half hours.
Eighty-Nine Trial Dates Planned
Various judgments, penalties, and settlements have resulted in the Dieselgate controversy at Volkswagen. However, the Dieselgate affair's intricate background and sequence of events remain obscure to this day. A major fraud trial involving four other former VW managers and engineers concluded without yielding substantial new insights following three years of proceedings in 2018.
Originally, Winterkorn was set to stand trial in 2021. However, his case was separated for health reasons. The regional court has now scheduled 89 trial dates, running until September 2025. Assuming a verdict against Winterkorn within this timeline, it would be ten years almost to the day since the diesel controversy broke the surface. The complexity of proceedings raises questions about what evidence will be presented.
The prosecution alleges that Winterkorn misled vehicle buyers and negligently withheld information about potential penalties from the capital market during the Dieselgate scandal in September 2015. The Commission, as Volkswagen's governing body, is expected to thoroughly scrutinize Winterkorn's role in these events during the trial.
