Volkswagen CEO says he is “not among the accused” probed for fraud

Volkswagen’s CEO Herbert Diess stated he was not one of the Volkswagen executives being investigated for fraud and breach of fiduciary trust after German prosecutors on Monday sought to push criminal charges against his predecessor.

“I am not among the accused. I do not expect to be charged,” Diess stated on the sidelines of a Volkswagen event at the Shanghai Auto Show on Monday.

Prosecutors in Braunschweig, Germany, stated on Monday they were pushing criminal charges against former Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn for fraud, breach of trust and breaching competition laws for failing to prevent polluting diesel cars being put on sale.

Diess is being probed in a separate investigation about market manipulation. VW and Diess declined to comment on the status of the other probe.