German prosecutors bring criminal charges against current and former Volkswagen CEOs over emissions scandal
Trio accused of deliberately failing to inform investors promptly about financial impact of scandal
Prosecutors in Germany have brought criminal charges against three current and former Volkswagen executives over the emissions scandal, agencies have reported.
CEO Herbert Diess and Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch, as well as former CEO Martin Winterkorn, have been charged with stock market manipulation. They intentionally told investors too late about the costs the company will incur as a result of the scandal, the prosecutors said on Tuesday. That gave the executives improper influence over the company’s share price, they argued.
The legal case is one of a number of lawsuits over VW’s admission in 2015 that it had cheated tests to make its vehicles appear less polluting than they were.
A VW board member told The Independent in a statement that the company has “meticulously” investigated the facts behind the latest charges with the help of internal and external legal experts for almost four years.
“The result is clear: the allegations are groundless,” said Hiltrud Dorothea Werner.
“Volkswagen AG therefore remains confident that it has fulfilled all its reporting obligations under capital markets law. If there is a trial, we are confident that the allegations will prove to be unfounded.”
World news in pictures
Show all 50
World news in pictures
1/50 24 September 2019
A protester fires at riot police during university students' protest outside the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta
Reuters
2/50 23 September 2019
Russia's Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the Soyuz MS-15 space ship that will carry new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) is transported from its hangar to the launch pad at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The new Soyuz mission is scheduled on 25 September with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, US astronaut Jessica Meir and United Arab Emirates astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri
AP
3/50 22 September 2019
An anti-government protester sets a fire during a rally outside the Mong Kok police station in Hong Kong
Reuters
4/50 21 September 2019
New Zealand players perform the haka before their opening Rugby World Cup match against South Africa in Japan. The All Blacks secured a 23-13 victory over their rivals
AFP/Getty
5/50 20 September 2019
Thousands of school students and protesters gather in The Domain ahead of a climate strike rally in Sydney. Millions of people around the world are taking part in protests demanding action on climate issues. The Global Strike For Climate is being held only days ahead of the scheduled United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York
Getty
6/50 19 September 2019
A pedestrian walks by an advertising installation for the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup in Oita, on the eve of the start of the tournament
AFP/Getty
7/50 18 September 2019
Two flamingos at Dresden Zoo in Germany
EPA
8/50 17 September 2019
Strong wind and waves roll in at Nordre Strandvej in Denmark
EPA
9/50 16 September 2019
A moto-taxi driver takes two passengers past a burning barricade set up by people protesting fuel shortages in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
AP
10/50 15 September 2019
People paddle on a stand-up board during sunrise in a beach in Larnaca, Cyprus
Reuters
11/50 14 September 2019
Mourners hold portraits of Zimbabwe's late President Robert Mugabe as they attend a farewell ceremony at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. Mugabe died in Singapore on September 6 at the age of 95. He left Zimbabwe deeply divided over his legacy with his country still struggling with high inflation and shortages of goods after decades of crisis
AFP/Getty
12/50 13 September 2019
Rescue workers on a boat rescue a person stranded inside a flooded tunnel after heavy floods in Pilar de la Horadada, Spain
Reuters
13/50 12 September 2019
Police officers try to control the crowd after members of the public were invited to view Robert Mugabe's body as it lies in state at the Rufaro stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe
Reuters
14/50 11 September 2019
A US flag hangs from a steel girder, damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center at a memorial in Jersey City. It is the 18th anniversary of the attacks
AP
15/50 10 September 2019
Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during a ceremony marking Ashura in Iraq
Reuters
16/50 9 September 2019
A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland
EPA
17/50 8 September 2019
Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north
Getty
18/50 7 September 2019
An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow
AFP/Getty
19/50 6 September 2019
Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. The former leader was forced to resign in 2017, after a 37-year rule, whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil, disputed elections and human rights violations, has died
AP
20/50 5 September 2019
Authorities work at the scene of a train crash in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. According to media reports, more than 30 people were injured after a train hit a track at a crossing
EPA
21/50 4 September 2019
A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria
Reuters
22/50 3 September 2019
A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city
AP
23/50 2 September 2019
A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip
EPA
24/50 1 September 2019
Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school
AP
25/50 31 August 2019
A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally 'Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners' in Hong Kong, China
EPA
26/50 30 August 2019
A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco
AFP/Getty
27/50
A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners' needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits
EPA
28/50 28 August 2019
Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved
AP
29/50 27 August 2019
Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight
AFP/Getty
30/50 26 August 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France
The Canadian Press via AP
31/50 25 August 2019
A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil
EPA
32/50 24 August 2019
A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay
AFP/Getty
33/50 23 August 2019
Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there
AFP/Getty
34/50 22 August 2019
A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the 'Janmashtami' festival in Chennai
Getty
35/50 21 August 2019
A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican
Reuters
36/50 20 August 2019
A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal
Reuters
37/50 19 August 2019
Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region's independence
AFP/Getty
38/50 18 August 2019
People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi'ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall
EPA
39/50 17 August 2019
A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule
AP
40/50 16 August 2019
Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th "Jeux du Castrum", a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland
AFP/Getty
41/50 15 August 2019
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan
Reuters
42/50 14 August 2019
A woman walks with a Kashmir's flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan
Reuters
43/50 13 August 2019
The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual."
Martin Reitze/SWNS
44/50 12 August 2019
People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade
EPA
45/50 11 August 2019
A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong
AFP/Getty
46/50 10 August 2019
Muslim pilgrims make their way down on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia
AP
47/50 9 August 2019
Waves hit a sea wall in front of buildings in Taizhou, China's eastern Zhejiang province. China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early on August 10 with high winds and torrential rainfall
AFP/Getty
48/50 8 August 2019
A herder struggles with his flock across a motorway at the city cattle market, ahead of the Eid al-Adha in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year, it marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts, one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy
EPA
49/50 7 August 2019
Kazakh servicemen perform during a ceremony opening the International Army Games at the 40th military base Otar in Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan
Reuters
50/50 6 August 2019
Paleontologist Naturalis Anne Schulp takes part in the construction of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex called Trix in Naturalis in Leiden, The Netherlands. After a month-long tour of Europe, Trix is home in time for the opening of the new museum
AFP/Getty
1/50 24 September 2019
A protester fires at riot police during university students' protest outside the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta
Reuters
2/50 23 September 2019
Russia's Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the Soyuz MS-15 space ship that will carry new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) is transported from its hangar to the launch pad at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The new Soyuz mission is scheduled on 25 September with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, US astronaut Jessica Meir and United Arab Emirates astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri
AP
3/50 22 September 2019
An anti-government protester sets a fire during a rally outside the Mong Kok police station in Hong Kong
Reuters
4/50 21 September 2019
New Zealand players perform the haka before their opening Rugby World Cup match against South Africa in Japan. The All Blacks secured a 23-13 victory over their rivals
AFP/Getty
5/50 20 September 2019
Thousands of school students and protesters gather in The Domain ahead of a climate strike rally in Sydney. Millions of people around the world are taking part in protests demanding action on climate issues. The Global Strike For Climate is being held only days ahead of the scheduled United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York
Getty
6/50 19 September 2019
A pedestrian walks by an advertising installation for the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup in Oita, on the eve of the start of the tournament
AFP/Getty
7/50 18 September 2019
Two flamingos at Dresden Zoo in Germany
EPA
8/50 17 September 2019
Strong wind and waves roll in at Nordre Strandvej in Denmark
EPA
9/50 16 September 2019
A moto-taxi driver takes two passengers past a burning barricade set up by people protesting fuel shortages in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
AP
10/50 15 September 2019
People paddle on a stand-up board during sunrise in a beach in Larnaca, Cyprus
Reuters
11/50 14 September 2019
Mourners hold portraits of Zimbabwe's late President Robert Mugabe as they attend a farewell ceremony at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. Mugabe died in Singapore on September 6 at the age of 95. He left Zimbabwe deeply divided over his legacy with his country still struggling with high inflation and shortages of goods after decades of crisis
AFP/Getty
12/50 13 September 2019
Rescue workers on a boat rescue a person stranded inside a flooded tunnel after heavy floods in Pilar de la Horadada, Spain
Reuters
13/50 12 September 2019
Police officers try to control the crowd after members of the public were invited to view Robert Mugabe's body as it lies in state at the Rufaro stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe
Reuters
14/50 11 September 2019
A US flag hangs from a steel girder, damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center at a memorial in Jersey City. It is the 18th anniversary of the attacks
AP
15/50 10 September 2019
Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during a ceremony marking Ashura in Iraq
Reuters
16/50 9 September 2019
A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland
EPA
17/50 8 September 2019
Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north
Getty
18/50 7 September 2019
An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow
AFP/Getty
19/50 6 September 2019
Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. The former leader was forced to resign in 2017, after a 37-year rule, whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil, disputed elections and human rights violations, has died
AP
20/50 5 September 2019
Authorities work at the scene of a train crash in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. According to media reports, more than 30 people were injured after a train hit a track at a crossing
EPA
21/50 4 September 2019
A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria
Reuters
22/50 3 September 2019
A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city
AP
23/50 2 September 2019
A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip
EPA
24/50 1 September 2019
Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school
AP
25/50 31 August 2019
A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally 'Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners' in Hong Kong, China
EPA
26/50 30 August 2019
A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco
AFP/Getty
27/50
A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners' needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits
EPA
28/50 28 August 2019
Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved
AP
29/50 27 August 2019
Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight
AFP/Getty
30/50 26 August 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France
The Canadian Press via AP
31/50 25 August 2019
A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil
EPA
32/50 24 August 2019
A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay
AFP/Getty
33/50 23 August 2019
Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there
AFP/Getty
34/50 22 August 2019
A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the 'Janmashtami' festival in Chennai
Getty
35/50 21 August 2019
A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican
Reuters
36/50 20 August 2019
A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal
Reuters
37/50 19 August 2019
Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region's independence
AFP/Getty
38/50 18 August 2019
People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi'ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall
EPA
39/50 17 August 2019
A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule
AP
40/50 16 August 2019
Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th "Jeux du Castrum", a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland
AFP/Getty
41/50 15 August 2019
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan
Reuters
42/50 14 August 2019
A woman walks with a Kashmir's flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan
Reuters
43/50 13 August 2019
The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual."
Martin Reitze/SWNS
44/50 12 August 2019
People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade
EPA
45/50 11 August 2019
A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong
AFP/Getty
46/50 10 August 2019
Muslim pilgrims make their way down on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia
AP
47/50 9 August 2019
Waves hit a sea wall in front of buildings in Taizhou, China's eastern Zhejiang province. China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early on August 10 with high winds and torrential rainfall
AFP/Getty
48/50 8 August 2019
A herder struggles with his flock across a motorway at the city cattle market, ahead of the Eid al-Adha in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year, it marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts, one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy
EPA
49/50 7 August 2019
Kazakh servicemen perform during a ceremony opening the International Army Games at the 40th military base Otar in Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan
Reuters
50/50 6 August 2019
Paleontologist Naturalis Anne Schulp takes part in the construction of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex called Trix in Naturalis in Leiden, The Netherlands. After a month-long tour of Europe, Trix is home in time for the opening of the new museum
AFP/Getty
The regional court in Germany will now review the charges and decide whether to try the three men. Given the complexity of the case, the review is likely to take months, according to Bloomberg.
In a separate case in April, German prosecutors charged Mr Winterkorn with fraud in connection with the scandal. They claimed he found out about the cheating in May 2014 but failed to end it. However, in early 2017, Mr Winterkorn, who resigned in the wake of the scandal, said he did not know about the rigging in advance of VW’s official admission.
The diesel emissions scandal has already cost VW over €30bn (£26bn) in fines and other costs.
For years VW had pushed its diesel cars as better for the environment than petrol-powered equivalents because they could travel for longer on a single tank of fuel. But the company cheated tests that measured other harmful exhaust fumes such as nitrogen oxide, which can cause a range of health problems.
VW’s share price fell almost three per cent after the latest charges became public.
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