Germany expands diesel probe to include VW board chairman

Volkswagen says German prosecutors have widened their investigation of the emissions scandal to include the chairman of the company's board of directors.

Hans Dieter Poetsch was VW's chief financial officer when the company's scandal over cars rigged to cheat on U.S. diesel emissions tests broke in September 2015.

Volkswagen said in a statement Sunday that prosecutors in the German city of Braunschweig are now investigating three members of the board including Poetsch.

Prosecutors were already investigating former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn and VW brand chief Herbert Diess over allegations they didn't inform investors soon enough.

VW said "based on careful examination by internal and external legal experts," the company reaffirms its belief that board members fulfilled their disclosure obligation under Germany's capital markets law.

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This version corrects the number of VW board members being investigated to three.