While he has so far disputed the alleged facts, Rupert Stadler will plead guilty as part of an agreement with the Munich Regional Court. In exchange for the confession, he should receive a suspended prison sentence of up to two years and pay a fine of 1.1 million euros.

The 60-year-old former boss of the firm with the rings is the main defendant in the first criminal trial opened in Germany to judge the global dieselgate scandal. He has been appearing for two and a half years alongside other former Volkswagen executives.

Mr Stadler's formal confession is expected in two weeks. They are a prerequisite for the plea agreement to be validated.

As a final step, the court is expected to deliver its judgment in June, according to a judicial source.

Mr. Stadler had always denied any responsibility in the case of the rigged engines, saying he had been duped by his technicians.

But the court came to the conclusion that the leader should have acknowledged by July 2016 at the latest that the emission values of diesel cars could be manipulated.

Instead of stopping the illegal scheme and informing business partners, he continued to support the sale of the rigged cars.

As a result, the court is moving towards a prison sentence for "fraud by omission" but which will be suspended because of the confession, albeit belatedly.

Other charges, "issuing false certificates" and "false advertising", were dropped during the trial.

Stadler accepted the guilty plea, as did the other two defendants in the trial: a former Audi and Porsche director, Wolfgang Hatz, and an Audi engineer, Giovanni Pamio.

Both can hope for a reduction in sentence.

However, the prosecutor's office refuses the principle of a suspended sentence for Mr Hatz. If the judge follows this advice, the defendant still faces a prison sentence.

The automotive giant Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 to having installed in 11 million vehicles of the brands of the group devices making them appear, during laboratory tests, less polluting than they were in reality.

Dieselgate caused a global scandal and heavily tarnished the reputation of the German car industry.

© 2023 AFP