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VW: Prosecutors launch probe into former boss Winterkorn | |
(34 minutes later) | |
German prosecutors have begun an investigation against former Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn. | |
The probe will look at "allegations of fraud in the sale of cars with manipulated emissions data", the prosecutor's office said. | |
Mr Winterkorn quit last week after almost nine years at the helm of VW, saying he had no knowledge of the manipulation of emissions results. | Mr Winterkorn quit last week after almost nine years at the helm of VW, saying he had no knowledge of the manipulation of emissions results. |
Regulators in the US had found "cheat" software in some diesel engines. | |
In the German legal system, anyone can file a criminal complaint with prosecutors, who are then obliged to examine them and decide whether there is enough evidence to open a formal investigation. | In the German legal system, anyone can file a criminal complaint with prosecutors, who are then obliged to examine them and decide whether there is enough evidence to open a formal investigation. |
In this case, following the US revelations about the rigged tests, prosecutors in Braunschweig, near VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, received about a dozen complaints, including one from Volkswagen itself, said spokeswoman Julia Meyer. | In this case, following the US revelations about the rigged tests, prosecutors in Braunschweig, near VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, received about a dozen complaints, including one from Volkswagen itself, said spokeswoman Julia Meyer. |
Over the weekend, German media reported that some of Volkswagen's own staff and one of its suppliers had warned years ago about the illegal use of so-called "defeat devices" to detect when a car was being tested and alter the running of its engines. | |
I'm a VW owner - what should I do? | |
What next for VW? | |
Car emissions tests: Not fit for purpose? | |
VW boss Winterkorn's highs and lows | |
VW scandal explained | |
Audi admission | |
The head of VW's Porsche division, Matthias Mueller, was appointed on Friday as Mr Winterkorn's successor. | |
VW has apologised for cheating emissions tests, but says that some 11 million cars across the group may can contain the computer code. | |
On Monday, VW-owned Audi said 2.1 million of its cars worldwide were fitted with the software. | |
Some 1.42 million Audi vehicles with so-called EU5 engines are affected in western Europe, with 577,000 in Germany, and almost 13,000 in the US. | |
Affected models include the A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q3 and Q5, a spokesman told the Reuters news agency. | |
Meanwhile, Reuters was among several media organisations reporting that VW had suspended senior R&D heads across the group, including from Audi and Porsche. | |
VW shares have plunged about 35% since it admitted cheating the US emissions tests. The company faces investigations and potential fines from regulators and prosecutors, as well as potential lawsuits from customers and shareholders. | |
Several countries, including Italy, France and South Korea have launched investigations, and Switzerland has has temporarily banned the sale of VW diesel-engine models. |