As of: March 15, 2024, 9:53 a.m
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Martin Winterkorn, former CEO of Volkswagen AG.
© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
Just a few days ago, ex-VW boss Winterkorn spoke as a witness about the diesel affair.
He will be in the dock himself from September.
Braunschweig - The two criminal proceedings against ex-Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn regarding the diesel affair will be combined into one trial.
The main hearing is scheduled to begin on September 3rd, as the Braunschweig regional court announced on Friday.
The 16th Economic Criminal Chamber is currently planning 89 appointments until September 2025. The proceedings against Winterkorn, who will be 77 years old at the planned start, will involve suspicion of fraud, false statements and market manipulation.
About a month ago, Winterkorn denied criminal responsibility for the emissions manipulation.
“I think these allegations are inaccurate,” he said in February as a witness in the multi-billion dollar civil lawsuit brought by investors before the Braunschweig Higher Regional Court.
Instead of using more expensive exhaust technology, VW falsified the measured values using hidden software codes.
These ensured that the tests were fully cleaned, but emissions were many times higher during road use.
“If I had been given a complete picture of the internal processes in the responsible departments, I would not have hesitated to tackle the processes directly and clarify them,” said Winterkorn.
The diesel affair at Volkswagen was exposed in September 2015 and cost Winterkorn the executive chair at the Wolfsburg car manufacturer a few days later.
The top manager resigned, but did not want this to be seen as an admission of complicity.
He claimed that he had no knowledge of any illegal activity before the scandal became known.
dpa