Four former Volkswagen executives go on trial in an incident during the VW Group's business executive match.
Vier former employees of carmaker Volkswagen appeared at a criminal trial over the Dieselgate scandal in which illegal software was used to cheat emission tests on Thursday.
The trial, held in the town of Braunschweig, close to Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg, has started without former CEO Martin Winterkorn whose separate trial will take place at a later time.
The four employees, accused of fraud, had been aware of the illegal software but failed to raise the issue, instead seek to maximise profits for the carmaker and, as a result, their performance bonuses, Braunschweig prosecutors said.
The defendants either say they did not know about the manipulation or had informed their superiors about it, judicial sources said.
In 2015 Volkswagen admitted to cheating behind the VW diesel engine test, sparking the biggest crisis in its history.
It has cost the world's second-largest carmaker $37.7 billion over 32 billion euros in vehicle refits, fines and legal costs so far.