Nine years after Dieselgate, ex-Volkswagen CEO goes on trial | Wilnesh News

previous Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn appeared in court on Tuesday on fraud charges in the so-called Dieselgate scandal, nine years after the German carmaker was found to have rigged emissions tests.

Winterkorn was ousted in September 2015 after it was revealed that millions of Volkswagen vehicles had been rigged to meet environmental standards, becoming a figurehead in the biggest scandal in the company’s history.

The 77-year-old’s criminal trial began on Tuesday, the culmination of a case spanning more than five years.

Judgment is coming in the future Volkswagen factory in Germany The problem is that the carmaker wants to save billions of euros for its namesake brand.

Wearing a dark blue suit and entering court in the central city of Braunschweig, Winterkorn remained tight-lipped but told reporters he was “doing a great job.”

The criminal charges against Winterkorn include fraud, market manipulation and unlawful testimony before a parliamentary committee.

He was also accused of failing to promptly notify capital markets of a massive diesel engine rigging incident in 2015.

Winterkorn denied the accusations through his lawyer.

His lawyer said: “Our client did not deceive or harm anyone. He did not deliberately keep the capital market in the dark and let investors be harmed. He told the truth to the investigative committee.”

The 77-year-old suffers from health problems that have led to repeated delays in the start of the trial.

It’s the first time the former CEO Held since February This year, he appeared as a witness in an investor lawsuit.

He denies involvement in decisions to install so-called defeat devices that make harmful diesel emissions appear cleaner than they actually are.

Previously, he had been questioned by the Investigative Committee of the lower house of the German Parliament and the law firm commissioned by Volkswagen.

If convicted, Winterkorn faces fines or jail time.