Suche
Mein Konto
VW diesel scandal: Ex-manager convicted – trial is far from over!
At the Braunschweig regional court, four ex-VW managers were found guilty of fraud and sentenced to prison. Diesel scandal remains legally controversial.
VW diesel scandal: Ex-manager convicted – trial is far from over!
A verdict was handed down today at the Braunschweig Regional Court in the trial surrounding the VW diesel scandal, which rocked the automotive industry more than ten years ago. Four former Volkswagen executives were found guilty of fraud. The court imposed several-year prison sentences on two defendants, while the other two ex-employees received suspended sentences. However, the decision is not yet final, which means that further proceedings cannot be ruled out. The legal disputes surrounding the scandal are anything but over, as four further criminal proceedings are pending in Braunschweig against a total of 31 defendants. Loud sueddeutsche.de The proceedings against former CEO Martin Winterkorn have been severed due to health problems, although it remains unclear when the proceedings can be expected to continue.
The trial lasted almost four years and included 170 days of hearings in which around 150 witnesses were interviewed. The comprehensive legal investigation shows how deeply the engineers and managers were involved in the development and use of the manipulation software. The public prosecutor's office demanded up to four years in prison for one of the defendants and three to four years for two others, while a fourth defendant was released on probation with two years as an accomplice. The defense pleaded for acquittal for three of the defendants and a warning.
Accusations and defense strategies
During the course of the trial, the defendants made accusations against each other and portrayed themselves as pawns. Engineers had already expressed concerns about the shutdown device, but their superiors only pointed out problems without discussing illegal actions. The complex evidence was characterized by constant statements between those involved, which made the court's decision even more difficult.
The trial, which began in September 2021, revolved around significant deceptions in emissions tests for Volkswagen diesel vehicles, which had a global impact on the group and the entire automotive industry. A legal dispute of this magnitude signals that the consequences of the scandal are far from over. For example, the Schleswig Administrative Court considers the thermal windows in practice to be inadmissible shutdown devices.
Looking into the future
The legal investigation into the diesel scandal is now considered to be unfinished. The ongoing proceedings show that both financial and reputational responsibilities for Volkswagen have not yet been fully clarified. Analyzes and forecasts about further legal steps are now of particular interest, especially in view of the upcoming negotiations and the uncertainties surrounding Martin Winterkorn's trial.