Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 that it had used illegal software to artificially reduce emissions in millions of diesel cars, making them appear less polluting than they actually were. Winterkorn resigned as CEO of the Volkswagen Group a week after the scandal broke. Winterkorn was originally scheduled to appear in court in Braunschweig in September 2021, along with four other former Volkswagen executives and engineers. However, the criminal case against Winterkorn was postponed due to health problems. In late 2023, however, the German authorities announced that they would resume the case against the now 77-year-old former CEO. The regional court in Braunschweig has scheduled almost 90 hearings for the criminal trial, which begins on Tuesday and runs until September 2025. According to prosecutors, Winterkorn knew about the manipulation of emissions tests some time before the diesel scandal became public. He is also accused of market manipulation by deliberately informing investors too late about the financial consequences of the cheating software affair. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of ten years. The scandal has cost Volkswagen billions in fines, legal fees and damages. Last year, the former CEO of subsidiary Audi was given a suspended prison sentence for his role in the fraud. Former engine development chief and later Porsche board member Wolfgang Hatz and an Audi engineer were also given suspended sentences for fraud.
Source: www.autoweek.nl
