'Dieselgate' trial opens in Germany without ex-VW boss

The trial of four former Volkswagen managers accused of fraud in the "Dieselgate" emissions-cheating scandal began on Thursday in the absence of the group's ex-boss. The defendants allegedly organised commercial fraud and tax evasion in relation to the scandal which rocked the global car industry in September 2015, when Volkswagen admitted tampering with millions of diesel vehicles to dupe pollution tests. Last week, the court decided to split proceedings, delaying the trial of Martin Winterkorn, the group's former CEO, for reasons of ill health. The hearing in Brunswick, not far from Volkswagen's corporate seat in Wolfsburg, is the second significant criminal trial in relation to the dieselgate scandal. Another, involving Rupert Stadler, the former boss of Volkswagen subsidiary Audi, began a year ago and is still ongoing. Volkswagen has already paid out damages, refunds and court fees of around 30 billion euros in relation to the scandal, mostly in the US. Winterkorn himself has agreed to pay 11.2 million euros in damages and interest to his former employer in a settlement with Volkswagen. The former CEO's hotly anticipated trial does not yet have a date, with medics unable to provide a clear timetable for his recovery, according to the court.