Background on the VW Emissions Scandal Testimony
Former Volkswagen Group chief executive and president Martin Winterkorn testified in a civil case brought by Volkswagen investors, nearly a decade after the scandal that rocked the German automaker began to unfold. He disputed responsibility during his court appearance, saying the allegations against him were unfounded and that he testified to help clarify the facts.
Winterkorn, aged 76, appeared as a witness in a civil lawsuit filed by investors in Volkswagen. The ex-executive also faces two criminal proceedings over his alleged role in the emissions affair, which involved diesel engines being programmed to appear cleaner during official emissions tests than in real driving conditions. He maintained that the accusations were not true and that he aimed to shed light on the matter through his testimony.
Winterkorn stepped down in September 2015, shortly after the manipulation of emissions figures came to light. He later claimed that he did not know about illegal behavior before the scandal erupted. The revelations emerged after U.S. regulators found that many Volkswagen vehicles carried software designed to mask and reduce toxic emissions only during testing. Some charges against Volkswagen and Winterkorn trace back to 2007.
Tardy and Inadequate Responses
In his testimony, Winterkorn said that he learned about the issues with U.S. authorities very late and initially only partially. He stated that with a full picture of the internal processes within the specialized departments, he would have addressed the problems directly and sought to clarify them. He added that he would have flown to the United States personally to discuss the matter with regulators. In the ongoing capital markets class action, investors have sought compensation since 2018 for billions in stock-price losses after the scandal went public, arguing that the company failed to inform them about risks in a timely manner.
The lead plaintiff in the case is Deka Investment, and the defendants include Volkswagen AG and its parent company Porsche SE. Former Volkswagen executives Herbert Diess and Matthias Müller had testified earlier in the case. The company has already paid more than 30 billion euros to those affected by the manipulations.