PARIS: Volkswagen has been given the status of assisted witness in a French fraud probe over the use of software to reduce emissions during pollution tests, a source said Tuesday, with the German carmaker risking a maximum penalty of nearly 20 billion euros ($22 billion).
The status of assisted witness in France is used when there is the reasonable possibility of the witness' involvement in a crime, but is short of being formally charged.
Volkswagen was given the status after its representatives were interviewed by investigating magistrates in March over the so-called dieselgate affair, said the source.
The company admitted in 2015 to having installed software in 11 million diesel engines worldwide to circumvent emissions tests.
French prosecutors opened a serious fraud investigation in February 2016 over the sale of vehicles installed with software to cheat pollution tests, with French carmakers Renault and Peugeot-Citroen as well as Fiat Chrysler now also facing such probes.
During the questioning in March "Volkswagen conformed it had equipped certain vehicles sold in France with a programme, but challenged its fraudulent character," said another source close to the case.
Volkswagen has admitted fraud in both the United States and Germany over the software.
French investigators suspect the devices reduced the emission of nitrogen oxides, or NOx, during tests for the certification of vehicles, while letting them spill out more of the pollutants believed to aggravate respiratory diseases like asthma when on the road.
A report by French fraud investigators in February 2016, which AFP has seen, calculated nearly 950,000 diesel vehicles equipped with the software were sold in France.
"The fraudulent sales ... total 22.78 billion euros" said report, which noted that if charged and convicted of fraud, Volkswagen risked a maximum fine of 19.7 billion euros.
The colossal sum "is just a theoretical amount hypothetically foreseen under law," Volkswagen said in a message sent to AFP.
It added that it is "cooperating with French authorities as part of the investigation underway."
Volkswagen has already agreed to pay more than $22 billion in fines and compensation over dieselgate, and set aside roughly the same amount.
However probes are ongoing in numerous countries and some analysts believe it may have not yet set aside sufficient funds.
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