Following indictment of ex-VW chief: US adopt arrest warrant – “Winterkorn still on the run”

05/05/2018

After indictment against ex-VW boss USA issue arrest warrant – “Winterkorn still on the run”

REUTERS

Martin Winterkorn (Archive): For the US authorities, the former VW boss is “still on the run”. However, Winterkorn does not have to fear extradition from Germany

The US Justice has issued after the indictment in the diesel scandal, a warrant for ex-VW chief Martin Winterkorn. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the competent court in Detroit on Friday evening. The Ministry of Justice said Winterkorn was still on the run for the authorities.

Volkswagen did not want to comment. A spokeswoman merely confirmed that the corporation cooperates with the authorities. The US Attorney’s office accuses him conspiracy to deceive the authorities in the exhaust gas manipulation.

However, the arrest warrant should not have much impact. Because an extradition must not fear the 70-year-old, according to the Federal Ministry of Justice, as long as he remains on German soil.

The US investigators have filed charges and assume that Winterkorn was already informed in May 2014 about irregularities in diesel exhaust emissions. In July 2015 was discussed in a meeting in the Wolfsburg headquarters in the presence of Winterkorn and other VW managers on possible consequences and finally proposed not to disclose the defeat device in VW models.

End station Bogenhausen: How Martin Winterkorn fell out of the car sky

Winterkorn agreed to this procedure. The former CEO has always denied any personal involvement in the exhaust gas scandal. The fact that there is a software for the manipulation of diesel exhaust gas, he himself only since September 2015. At that time, the exhaust gas scandal was exposed to pressure from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

In Germany, the Braunschweig prosecutor investigates Winterkorn and other accused persons on suspicion of fraud and market manipulation.

la / dpa

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