Four Volkswagen executives charged with embezzlement

Frankfurt Am Main, Nov 12

German prosecutors said today they have filed embezzlement charges against four Volkswagen executives for having accorded excessive salaries and bonuses to several members of an employees’ council.

The action benefitting five members of the works council cost the car giant around 5.1 million euros in overpayments, prosecutors said.

The four accused were not named, but two were described as former Board members. The third is an ex-executive and the fourth a “current leading manager”.

The case is the latest in a series of legal entanglements that Volkswagen is grappling with.

After it admitted four years ago to illegally fitting 11 million vehicles worldwide with software to make the cars seem less polluting, the German car giant has found itself battling a series of lawsuits. — AFP