Volkswagen: Ex-manager convicts-the diesel scandal continues!

Volkswagen: Ex-manager convicts-the diesel scandal continues!

In the judgment of the Braunschweig district court announced today, four former Volkswagen executives were found guilty in connection with the diesel affair for fraud. The process, which lasted almost four years, was particularly shaped by the many coronary conditions under which the negotiation started in 2021. Around 150 witnesses were heard, but the statements of which often remained contradictory. The business criminal chamber sentenced two of the accused to be sentenced to several years, while the other received two suspended sentences. For many in the industry, the judgment is a significant step in the legal processing of the scandal, which was exposed by the US environmental authorities in 2015 when manipulation of exhaust gas values ​​became public.

An important player in this process, the former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn, was not among the defendants. His procedure was separated for health reasons. Winterkorn initially apologized on September 22, 2015, shortly after the scandal became known, and resigned a day later. However, he had always denied his responsibility for the events. In 2024 he was interviewed as a witness in the investor process, which was interrupted by an accident, so that it remains unclear when it can be continued.

The mechanisms of fraud

The accused in Braunschweig had been accused of developing illegal software for manipulation of the exhaust gas values ​​in order to present VW diesel cars as more environmentally friendly than they actually were. This deception was introduced in the 2000s when VW tried to stay competitive in the American market and to avoid rigorous exhaust gas standards. After the manipulation became known, Volkswagen paid more than $ 25 billion for fines and compensation, while in Germany only the former Audi boss Rupert Stadler has been sentenced to a probation penalty, the legal force of which is still pending.

The four defendants who had to answer in Braunschweig in court disappointed about the severity of the penalties imposed and could not avoid seeing themselves as a peasant victim. A former head of diesel engine development received a prison sentence of four and a half years. The other two who received probation were surprised at the sentence imposed. The legal processing of the diesel affair is far from complete after this judgment, since there are further procedures against a total of 31 other accused.

Legal consequences for buyers and Volkswagen

After the announcement of the manipulation software, the legal claims of buyers in Germany have continued to leave unclear legal situations. While Volkswagen has offered compensation between $ 7,000 and $ 16,000 in the United States, the company in Europe rejects similarly high compensation. Around 7,000 buyers have submitted individual lawsuits against Volkswagen in Germany, and there are already almost 40,000 plaintiffs about the Myright platform. These legal steps could turn out to be complex and time -consuming, since the dishes are overloaded with a variety of lawsuits.

The legal uncertainties will remain, since buyers face challenges due to different limitation periods and the complexity of the claims for damages. The manipulating software is classified by courts as a material defect, which indicates numerous legal options for buyers.

For more information, read the reporting of t-online.de and Wirtschaftsdienst.eu.