Volkswagen executives may face imprisonment over alleged criminal activities
Former VW Executives Face Potential Jail Time in Diesel Emissions Scandal
Ten years after the emissions scandal at Volkswagen (VW) and four years into the trial against suspected managers, a verdict is imminent. The accused are taken aback by the prosecutor's demands and are passing the blame among themselves.
Martin Winterkorn, then CEO of VW, appeared before the cameras on September 22, 2015, stating, "Manipulating and Volkswagen, that must never happen again." Winterkorn admitted wrongdoing, apologized, and promised, "We will clear this up." A day later, he resigned, and the comprehensive clarification of responsibility for the manipulations continues unabated.
The Braunschweig public prosecutor's office formally indicted Winterkorn and four other former executives of VW for a "large number of criminal offenses." These accusations primarily include fraud. The highly complex trial commenced with masks and social distancing in the Braunschweig city hall due to pandemic restrictions.
Without Winterkorn as a defendant, attention for the trial quickly waned. The proceedings moved to regular courtrooms in the regional court, with scant media coverage. The accused engineers and managers were deeply involved in the development and use of manipulation software in millions of vehicles, ensuring that nitrogen oxide limits were only met on the test bench.
The trial delved into clarifying personal responsibility, with former superiors and employees offering competing testimonies. Engineers argue they raised concerns and warned of potential consequences, while superiors counter that problems were discussed without any mention of illegal activity or fraud.
The origins of one of the largest German industrial scandals date back to the mid-2000s. Volkswagen aimed to compete with the competition in the USA with diesel cars. Challenges in meeting emission standards reportedly led to a series of cover-ups around the software trick.
The scandal broke in September 2015 when the US Environmental Protection Agency disclosed manipulations in diesel car emission tests. VW admitted to false test results shortly beforehand, leading to one of the biggest crises in its history.
In the first criminal trial in Germany, former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison, suspended, and a fine of 1.1 million euros for fraud. Initial negotiations resulted in an agreement, but the defense later filed an appeal, with the verdict not finalized as of yet.
The surprise was evident on the faces of many participants in the trial when the prosecutors presented their sentencing demands a few days back. For three of the accused, the public prosecutor's office considers a suspended sentence insufficient. They demanded between three and four years in prison for them. The defense, however, pleaded for three acquittals, a reprimand, and no jail time.
In emotional closing statements, the accused emphasized how exhausting and draining they found the almost four-year-long trial. The men threatened with imprisonment lamented that the demanded sentence, ten years after the scandal became public, left them speechless. They also described the respective pleas for the other accused as "disturbing and frightening."
In Brunswick, the legal process is far from complete. Besides the first trial and the case against Winterkorn, there are still four ongoing criminal proceedings against a total of 31 accused. Winterkorn's court battles are far from over.
Sources: ntv.de, mbo/dpa
- The public prosecutor's office has demanded prison sentences for several former VW executives, including Martin Winterkorn, as part of the diesel emissions scandal, with some facing sentences ranging from three to four years.
- The accused, in their closing statements, expressed their dismay at the demanded sentences, stating that they find the proposed sentences, ten years after the scandal, left them speechless, and referred to the pleas for other accused as "disturbing and frightening."
