Paris prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into German carmaker Volkswagen for “aggravated fraud” following recent revelations that it programmed its cars to conceal true emissions data, a judicial source told French media on Friday, reports FRANCE 24.
Volkswagen has admitted to rigging its cars to detect when they were being tested and alter the running of their diesel engines to conceal their actual emissions.
The company cheated on diesel emissions tests in the United States and is suspected of having manipulated data in Europe as well, where the company sells about 40 percent of its vehicles.
The Paris prosecutor’s office decided to launch the investigation into Volkswagen after news of the faked tests broke last month, the judicial source said.
The company's former CEO, Martin Winterkorn, resigned last week over the scandal. He has since been replaced by Porsche boss Matthias Mueller.
Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, has set aside 6.5 billion euros ($7.2 billion) to help cover the cost of the crisis, but some analysts think the final bill could be much higher.
Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.