German Court Orders Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, Others to Stand Trial

By William Boston

BERLIN--A German court on Wednesday ordered former Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn to stand trial on charges of fraud and tax evasion in connection with the auto maker's rigging of millions of diesel-powered vehicles to cheat emissions tests.

Mr. Winterkorn could not be reached for comment. His attorney wasn't immediately available to comment.

The court in Braunschweig, near Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg, said it would allow the case to go to trial, citing a "probability of conviction" based on the evidence presented.

The charges are levied against five individuals including Mr. Winterkorn, who was CEO during the years that Volkswagen installed illegal software to suppress toxic emissions during routine testing on around 11 million vehicles world-wide.

All criminal investigations against Volkswagen as a corporation have been settled in Germany and the U.S.

Volkswagen pleaded guilty to defrauding the U.S. government and U.S. consumers in 2016. The company has paid more than $30 billion in fines, penalties, and other charges related to the diesel affair.

Write to William Boston at William.Boston@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 09, 2020 08:34 ET (12:34 GMT)

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