According to the public prosecutor’s office, the accusation against Karl-Thomas Neumann (63) is that he was an accessory to fraud as an indirect perpetrator. The charges are related to the diesel scandal Volkswagen. “Wirtschaftswoche” had previously reported.
Neumann did not initially respond to a request from the dpa news agency. He rejected the allegations to “Wirtschaftswoche” and explained: “I have no wrongdoing to accuse myself of in connection with the diesel affair.” The car manager, also known as “KT Neumann”, was, among other things, boss at Opel and Volkswagen in China.
The affair surrounding the manipulation of diesel emissions values using deceptive software was exposed in September 2015, but it goes back a few years further. Since then, the question has been raised as to whether VW’s suppliers could also have known about the intention of diesel fraud. Continental did not want to comment on the charges that have now been made.
In April, the Hanover public prosecutor’s office imposed a fine of 100 million euros on Continental in connection with emissions manipulation. The proceedings for a negligent violation of the duty of supervision were directed against Continental AG and other companies in the group.
At the time, Continental announced that it would not take legal action. It is in the company’s interest that the process is ended.