Winterkorn is charged in the so-called dieselgate scandal. It started rolling nine years ago when it was revealed that the Volkswagen Group had placed illegal software in its diesel cars.
The software helped to deceive emissions tests so that the cars appeared to be more environmentally friendly than they were.
Winterkorn is accused of defrauding the buyers of around 9 million diesel cars sold in Europe and the USA.
He is also accused of market manipulation and of having lied when he gave evidence to an investigative committee in the German National Assembly in 2017. The penalty is up to ten years in prison.
Winterkorn led Volkswagen from 2007 to 2015. Then he resigned after admitting that he had knowledge of the illegal software.
According to his defender, the 77-year-old denies the charges.
The trial against the former VW boss opened at the beginning of September, but has now been postponed indefinitely.
According to the court, the background is that Winterkorn has been admitted to hospital after a fall.
– The doctors’ report indicates that he will not be able to participate in court sessions for several months, says an announcement from the court.
#trial #VWs #CEO #postponed
2024-10-01 19:04:35
