May 10, 2018—Volkswagen’s new CEO, Herbert Diess, was reportedly in the U.S. last week to testify to authorities about the automaker’s emissions scandal. German newspaper Bild reported on Tuesday that the meeting took place around May 1, and that Diess spoke with representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI.
The newspaper published the story without citing the source of its information about the meeting. VW has declined to comment on the matter, according to the Reuters news agency.
Diess, who joined Volkswagen in July 2015, roughly two months before the “Dieselgate” scandal broke, was reportedly accompanied by Larry Thompson, the U.S. monitor appointed last year to oversee reforms at the German auto group. A person familiar with the matter confirmed that Diess and Thompson had traveled to the U.S. recently for talks with relevant authorities, without being more specific.
Last week, the U.S. disclosed criminal charges against former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, accusing him of conspiring to cover up emissions manipulations. They then issued an arrest warrant against Winterkorn, 70, who resigned days after “Dieselgate” broke in Sept. 2015. Winterkorn in early 2017 told German lawmakers that he hadn’t been informed of any cheating early, and would’ve stopped it had he been aware.
