Just five years after starting up the exhaust fighcomes at Volkswagen, the Braunschweiger district court has admitted the fraud accession against ex-group boss Martin Winterkorn. This divided the state chamber on Wednesday. Winter grain must face the challenge in a public procedure – when the process begins is still open.
It’s about the accusation of heavy fraud
The investigators had charged the 73-year-old manager in April 2019 due to his role in diesel scandal. It is about the allegation of severe fraud and the infringement against the law against unfair competition in connection with manipulation of the exhaust values of millions of vehicles.
As the court announced this Wednesday, the Chamber at Winterkorn sees sufficient suspicion that the manager could be condemned for commercial and gangmaby fraud. That is why the opening of the main procedure was admitted.
Vehicle damage for the buyers
The purchasers of certain vehicles from the Group were exchanged for the nature of the cars and specifically the so-called shutdown device in the engine control software. As a result, compliance with nitrogen oxide emissions was committed only to the test stand, but not in normal operation. The buyers had suffered a loss of worship, striking it in a communication of the district court.
An economic trail chamber of three judges asked if there is sufficient suspicion. During the past few months, there should first have some doubts of the Court of Justice to the Argumentation of the Braunschweiger Prosecutor’s Office. In the fall, Judge Christian Protection had asked the criminal courses for further completions.
The software contained an illegal exchange program
According to reports, the General Court demanded, among other things, an expert opinion on whether the software of taxes of the diesel vehicles concerned was indeed an illegal exchange program.
Observers had actually expected that the process against winter grain and other leadership has already opened at the beginning of this year. In January, however, the prosecutor’s office had to work again: some starting points in the indictment should be according to information from the online business magazine Business insider "not effective", a "sufficient suspicion" should not have been to be foreseen. Accordingly, it was about the charge of criminal advertising for manipulated diesel cars in the USA – and also for fraud accusation because of the continuing sale of such vehicles. Now the court likes the application to.
Chronology of the exhaust scandal
In mid-September 2015: The US Environmental Agreement EPA accuses the Volkswagen Group to have equipped diesel cars of the years 2009 to 2015 with a software that explains the exams on US environmental provisions. Similar examination results also came the California Air Resources Board (Carb). Both registrations send complaints to VW. (In the picture: Central of the EPA in Washington D.C.To)
In September 2015, Volkswagen had admittedly admitted manipulations to the exhaust gas values of diesel cars after examination of authorities and research from researchers in the USA. The software of certain motors was written so that significantly more toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) have been replaced in the course on the strain than in tests.