The prosecutor's office in Braunschweig, near Volkswagen's Wolfsburg headquarters, said Winterkorn was now being investigated on suspicion of fraud, beyond an earlier focus on a possible securities-market violation. The 69-year-old stepped down in September 2015, days after news emerged in the U.S. of Volkswagen's use of software that turned off emissions controls. The searches were primarily in Wolfsburg, Braunschweig and the north German town of Gifhorn. In a June statement, prosecutors said Winterkorn was being investigated only for market manipulation for not making a timely disclosure of the possible financial consequences of the problem. U.S. prosecutors have separately charged seven former Volkswagen employees.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 27, 2017 16:36 UTC