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Indictment Expected in VW Case

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Times Staff and Wire Reports

German prosecutors are expected to indict Volkswagen purchasing chief Jose Ignacio Lopez de Arriortua this month as they conclude their three-year probe of alleged industrial espionage, Lopez’s attorney said. Frankfurt attorney Juergen Taschke said in a statement that he “expects an indictment” later in November. Prosecutors in Frankfurt said the investigation of charges filed by General Motors Corp. regarding Lopez’s switch to VW in 1993 will be concluded by year-end. In a bitter three-year legal dispute, GM and its German subsidiary Adam Opel have alleged that Lopez and seven other former GM managers stole secrets on purchasing and production plans when they moved to Volkswagen. VW, which has consistently denied the allegations, declined to comment on the report.

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