The former CEO of Volkswagen has appeared in court facing charges of fraud, market manipulation and perjury, nearly a decade after the car manufacturer was discovered to have rigged emissions tests.
Martin Winterkorn led the German automotive giant in 2015 when the company was engulfed in a scandal when it was revealed that Volkswagen had been intentionally manipulating official emissions tests, designing vehicles that could pass laboratory assessments while emitting unlawful levels of pollutants during normal driving conditions.
Winterkorn’s trial began on Tuesday, with the former executive denying all charges. His lawyers asserted, “Our client did not defraud or harm anyone, nor did he intentionally mislead the capital market to harm investors. He also provided truthful testimony to the investigative committee.”
The “Dieselgate” scandal erupted in September 2015 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accused Volkswagen of installing illegal “defeat devices,” software that detected laboratory testing and activated emissions controls to pass the tests
Winterkorn is accused of deliberately deceiving Volkswagen customers, shareholders, and German politicians and if convicted, could face up to 10 years in prison..
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