Publications
Partners
Berlin - German prosecutors have widened their investigation into Volkswagen's handling of the emissions scandal to include its board chairman, Hans Dieter Poetsch, the company said Sunday (November 6).
Poetsch was VW's chief financial officer when the company's efforts to rig cars to cheat on US diesel emissions tests became public in September 2015.
Investigating top officials
Volkswagen said in a statement that prosecutors in the German city of Braunschweig are investigating three members of the board including Poetsch. Prosecutors were already investigating former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn and VW brand chief Herbert Diess over allegations they didn't inform investors soon enough.
VW rejects those allegations.
READ: 5 things you should know about VW's 'dieselgate' scandal
The automaker said in a statement: "Based on careful examination by internal and external legal experts, the company reaffirms its belief that the Volkswagen board of management duly fulfilled its disclosure obligation under German capital markets law."
The company said VW and Poetsch would "continue to give the inquiries by the public prosecutor's office their full support."
German law requires publicly traded companies to alert investors as soon as they become aware of unforeseen developments that could affect a decision to buy or sell the stock.
READ: VW emissions scandal - What does it mean for SA?
The company has acknowledged learning in May 2014 that an environmental group had uncovered emissions irregularities, but that top officials didn't discuss the matter until more than a year later. The US Environmental Protection Agency issued a violation notice on September 18, 2015, leading Volkswagen to assess the risks as more serious and issue its investor advisory on September 22, 2015.
In October, a US federal judge in San Francisco approved a $15-billion settlement under which Volkswagen will buy back or fix almost half a million cars affected by the emissions scandal in the United States.