Former Volkswagen CEO Winterkorn’s diesel scandal trial temporarily halted by German court

The trial of former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has been put on hold by a German court due to a health issue affecting Winterkorn. Winterkorn, who faces charges of fraud and market manipulation related to Volkswagen’s use of software to manipulate diesel emissions tests, was deemed unfit to proceed with the trial by the regional court in Braunschweig.

The court stated that Winterkorn’s health condition was a temporary impediment that necessitated the suspension of the trial. The decision to halt proceedings was made with the assistance of an expert who will monitor Winterkorn’s recovery progress to determine when the trial can resume.

Winterkorn had initially gone on trial in September 2024, but the proceedings were interrupted shortly after due to an accident he was involved in. German law allows for the temporary termination of court proceedings in cases where the accused is unable to participate for an extended period due to health reasons or other personal impediments.

According to prosecutors, Winterkorn was aware of the illegal software used by Volkswagen to cheat emissions tests well before it was publicly revealed in 2015 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Winterkorn resigned from his position shortly after the revelations came to light but has consistently denied any prior knowledge of the emissions manipulation. During previous civil proceedings, Winterkorn stated that the allegations against him were unfounded.

In a separate development, four former Volkswagen managers were recently found guilty of fraud in connection to the emissions scandal. Two of the managers were sentenced to prison terms, with the former head of diesel development receiving a four-and-a-half-year sentence, and the head of drive train electronics sentenced to two years and seven months. The other two managers received suspended prison sentences of 15 months and 10 months.

The manipulation of emissions controls by Volkswagen led to a significant scandal and resulted in legal actions against several high-ranking individuals within the company. Winterkorn’s trial will remain suspended until he is deemed fit to stand trial, at which point proceedings are expected to resume.