(Bloomberg) -- Former Volkswagen AG (OTC:VWAGY) head Martin Winterkorn and four others must stand trial over serious fraud charges in Germany for their role in the diesel-rigging scandal that cost the carmaker more than 30 billion euros ($35 billion).
The former chief executive officer and four other managers were charged last year of equipping vehicles sold to customers with a so-called defeat device. A court in Braunschweig, Germany allowed the case to proceed Wednesday, but modified some of the charges, saying the suspects could also be tried for acting as a criminal gang.
“The fraud charges concern 9 million vehicles sold in Europe and the U.S.,” the court said in an emailed statement. “Buyers may have lost 100 million euros.”
VW and Winterkorn’s lawyer Felix Doerr didn’t immediately reply to emails seeking comment.
The court dropped breach of trust and some minor charges against Winterkorn. The judges told prosecutors that they are likely to reject their demand to have executive’s bonus seized as part of the case.
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