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German prosecutors have blamed VW's former CEO, Martin Winterkorn, for playing a role in the Dieselgate scandal. Winterkorn is accused of having been aware of the plot since 2014 but of not having informed regulators or consumers. Along with four other people, he is also charged with unfair competition, embezzlement, tax evasion and false testimony. The New York Times notes that these are the first criminal charges to be filed against an individual in Germany for this scheme.
The former VW CEO allegedly played a major role in the scandal, which resulted in the sale of millions of diesel vehicles worldwide, generating illicit pollution levels while they appeared to have successfully pbaded the emission control tests. In the US, the SEC has also accused the former CEO of having swindled investors because of the scandal, but it is unlikely that he will be extradited by the German authorities. If he is found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison, as well as heavy fines and reimbursement of nearly 11 million euros ($ 12 million) in wages and bonuses.
Although unveiled in 2015, the dieselgate emissions scandal shows no signs of slowing down and has since spread to other major German automakers. In the United States, a federal grand jury has indicted four Audi executives for their role in the project. Earlier this month, the EU had accused BMW, Daimler and VW of being heard to limit the use of emission technologies. In Germany, VW investors are currently suing the company for at least 9 billion euros in damages when its share price fell after the scandal.
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