2024-09-05 15:28:20
Former Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn, under investigation in the unprecedented Dieselgate scandal, considers the allegations against him in the controversial engine fraud “inevitable”, explaining on Wednesday that his strategic responsibilities shielded him from the questions. technology.
“The criminal charges against me, as the prosecution (…) is trying to make, are unthinkable,” the former president who has been dismissed concluded a speech he read on the second day of his trial before the German courts, where you have a risk. prison sentence
In September 2015, the German automaker admitted that it had planted a total of 11 million cars so that they show much lower levels of nitrogen oxide emissions than in reality. In the process, Martin Winterkorn had to submit his resignation.
Although he admitted that he had found himself “closely connected” to diselgate through his administrative duties, the 77-year-old former boss confirmed that he was not involved in the decisions regarding the development and use (of) the irregular software service on the new VW. diesel engines.”
“I’m not a computer expert”
He explained that his role focuses on “strategic decisions” regarding the direction of the group, its brands and products, together with his management colleagues. He explained that it was not his responsibility to address the “technical challenges”.
“I’m not a computer expert and there’s nothing to see in the software anyway,” said this boss best known for checking with his pen torch the details of engines and other visible elements of vehicles during the your visit to the bus stops.
Inside, engineers “assure me that they are working hard on the problem of reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions”. However, he said he did not receive any written report “on a software project, especially important from a legal point of view”. Likewise, he confirmed that he would not have accepted that consumers were deceived when they bought or sold fake cars, or did not keep shareholders in ignorance of the risks, as the prosecution will instead try to show.
Portions of his lengthy deposition were read by his lawyers. Exhausted after several surgical interventions, Martin Winterkorn benefited from several delays in his research which took place nine years after the revelation of the scandal and was set to last a year.
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