Volkswagen to announce new CEO Friday

(AFP) German auto giant Volkswagen will announce its new chief executive on Friday, its supervisory board said in a statement after Martin Winterkorn resigned over the widening car pollution cheating scandal.

"New appointments will be put before the supervisory board's meeting this coming Friday," it said Wednesday, adding that besides changes in the top job, it was expecting other personnel shifts.

"We will discuss proposals for personnel changes at the supervisory board meeting on Friday. We will then let you know our thoughts and considerations afterwards," supervisory board chief Berthold Huber told journalists at a brief news conference at the group's headquarters in Wolfsburg.

Winterkorn's resignation had been widely expected amid the continuing turmoil from revelations last week that VW had fitted the diesel engines of some of its cars with devices that could fool emissions tests.

"I am shocked by the events of the past few days. Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group," Winterkorn said in a statement issued by the carmaker.

"Volkswagen needs a fresh start -- also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation," he said, without personally appearing before the media.