The criminal trial against former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn in the diesel affair will not continue until early 2025 at the earliest. After the 77-year-old had an accident, the main hearing was suspended and all scheduled continuation dates were cancelled, as the court announced. In mid-September, the trial had already been postponed due to Winterkorn’s injury. According to the court, Winterkorn injured himself so badly that he had to be hospitalized.

According to a medical report, it is now clear that Winterkorn “will not be able to take part in court hearings for at least the next few months,” the court said. This means that the hearing cannot be continued within the legally required interruption period. It is now being examined whether a new schedule for the first quarter of 2025 is possible. Details about the accident at home and Winterkorn’s current state of health are not known.

Winterkorn rejects allegations

Nine years after the emissions manipulation at the Wolfsburg car manufacturer was exposed, the trial against Winterkorn only began at the beginning of September. The former CEO denied any responsibility for the diesel affair. “Our client firmly rejects the allegations made against him. We are confident that we will achieve a good result for our client,” said his defense attorney Felix Dörr.

The 77-year-old is accused of commercial fraud, market manipulation and unsworn false statements in the proceedings before the Commercial Criminal Chamber. Winterkorn is said to have deceived VW buyers about the quality of the cars and deliberately failed to inform the capital market in a timely manner about the risks of fines in the crucial days of September 2015. In 2017 he is said to have given false, unsworn testimony to the Bundestag investigative committee. The presumption of innocence applies.

Not for the first time health problems

Winterkorn was actually supposed to be in the dock with four other ex-VW managers and engineers in the first major fraud trial in Braunschweig. Shortly before the start of this procedure in 2021, his complex was separated for health reasons and should now be rebuilt. Almost 90 dates were scheduled for the criminal trial until September 2025.