Courts chase VW executive Lopez

BERLIN: The controversy surrounding Volkswagen AG executive Jose Ignacio Lopez de Arriortua continues. Lopez, the former purchasing head of GM who defected to VW in 1993 is at the center of international espionage charges filed by General Motors.

Although Lopez resigned recently, executives of German carmaker Opel AG, a unit of GM, said his resignation could not compensate for damages incurred by the carmaker. GM is pursuing the case in a U.S. court, despite reports that VW is seeking an out-of-court settlement on the matter. German prosecutors have filed charges against Lopez and three other former GM employees