Germany investigates former president of Volkswagen for fraud | Commerce Peru – Trade

(EFE).- The office of the Prosecutor of Braunschweig (center of Germany) announced today that it is investigating now also for an alleged offence of fraud, the former president of the group automotive Volkswagen, Martin Winterkorn, in relation to the scandal of the manipulation of emissions.

The Prosecutor’s office points out in a press release that “the suspect could have known of the software handler and its effect before it officially was not recognized”.

The investigation has taken this turn-over after the Prosecution has picked up in recent weeks, the statements of several witnesses and has reviewed the information contained in the vast documentation forfeited to the company.

This new information it contains “sufficient clues factual” as to broaden the offenses for which investigates Winterkorn, he argues the Prosecutor’s office of Braunschweig.

The decision to expand the investigation around Winterkorn became known after the security forces record in the past they give you 28 properties for private and commercial use.

The exdirectivo was up to now investigated for alleged market manipulation, to the suspicion that withheld information about the fraud of the emissions for this to not affect negatively to the actions of the group.

The Prosecutor’s office reported that the number of persons investigated by the scandal of the emissions of Volkswagen has been raised from the 21 known up to 37.

a week Ago, Winterkorn denied having known of the manipulation of the emission before a committee of inquiry in the Bundestag, the lower House of Germany.

The former president of the largest european manufacturer of vehicles said “it is not understandable” that has not been acquitted of this matter prior to.

The German group sold all over the world around 9.5 million vehicles with a program in the engine that detects when it is on a test bench, and reduces pollutant emissions to the atmosphere to comply with environmental criteria. In normal conditions, however, they contaminate much more.

The denunciation of the case, discovered by the american authorities, led to the resignation of Winterkorn, research in different countries, a flood of lawsuits and fines that add up to several thousands of millions of euros.