Judgment in the VW diesel scandal: In prison sentences for ex-managers awaited!

Judgment in the VW diesel scandal: In prison sentences for ex-managers awaited!

Braunschweig, Niedersachsen, Deutschland - Today, on May 26, 2025, the judgment in the fraud process for the Volkswagen diesel affair is expected before the Braunschweig district court. Almost ten years after the scandal was uncovered, four former VW managers have to answer. They are accused of fraud in commercial and gangs because they have probably knowingly manipulated the exhaust gas values ​​of their diesel cars. The process, one of the most extensive in German judicial history, comprises more than 75,000 pages of investigative files and over 170 days of negotiations, in which around 150 witnesses were heard. The public prosecutor calls for three of the accused of three to four years and for a fourth defendant who is considered assistant, a suspended sentence of two years.

The allegations that are charged to the ex-managers are serious: they are said to have been actively involved in the construction of a software that enabled the vehicles concerned to show significantly lower emissions in test mode than they actually generated on the street. This led to significant health and ecological effects that were incompatible with the environmental standards that were applicable at the time. The scandal was made public in September 2015 by the US environmental authority EPA when it uncovered the manipulations and shows that around 482,000 vehicles were against the "Clear Air Act". As a result, VW boss Martin Winterkorn resigned and Matthias Müller became his successor.

legal consequences and financial effects

The legal consequences for Volkswagen still drag on to this day. The group not only had to call back the manipulated vehicles, which caused huge costs of over 32 billion euros, but is also faced with ongoing civil complaints from customers and shareholders. Overall, the financial damage, combined with the diesel scandal, could reach up to 50 billion euros. In order to recover from the consequences of the scandal, VW provides for an accelerated switch to electromobility and has now established itself as the fourth largest manufacturer of electric cars worldwide.

The ex-CEO Martin Winterkorn, who should also be held responsible, did not reach the court due to health problems, so that his procedure has been separated and is currently unclear whether a judgment will occur. In the general public and among the shareholders, there is increasing criticism of the corporate management of VW and their poor independence, which is also mated with the fund companies.

The Volkswagen affair is not only a legal, but also a profound entrepreneurial fiasco that the company has shaped sustainably. The process and the upcoming verdict are another step on the long way to cope with the serious consequences of diesel fraud legally and economically. It also shows how essential transparency and ethical action are for companies today.

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