In the VW diesel trial, all four defendants have now described their version of exhaust gas manipulation. Nobody saw the main responsibility for the scandal with themselves.
In the fraud process relating to the VW diesel affair, an ex-manager accused two co-defendants of “false information”.
During interrogations, the two senior engineers made allegations “for their own relief,” said the former head of development at the VW core brand. Four ex-managers and engineers of the group are indicted before the regional court in Braunschweig. You are accused of, among other things, commercial and gang fraud with manipulated software in millions of cars (Az .: 6 KLs 23/19).
He only received full knowledge of the illegal activities in the USA and Europe in a board meeting on September 20, 2015, said the defendant. Two days earlier, «Dieselgate» was blown in the USA by a letter from the environmental agency CARB. Shortly afterwards, CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned with an emotional farewell declaration, but emphasized that he was “not aware of any wrongdoing”.
Criminal trial begins without Winterkorn
Six years later, the criminal trial began without Winterkorn. The 74-year-old does not have to appear in the Braunschweiger Stadthalle for the time being due to health problems. His procedural complex remains separate, a complaint from the public prosecutor’s office, however, rejected the Higher Regional Court (OLG) as inadmissible. For the process of coming to terms with one of the biggest economic scandals, a total of more than 130 days of negotiations are planned until the summer of 2023.
After the first five days of the trial, all four defendants had the chance to comment on the allegations. In reports that lasted several hours, they each described their version – above all on the genesis of the “US 07” project, with which VW wanted to enter the US market with a “clean diesel”. The first result is that none of the accused former VW executives sees the main responsibility for the scandal with them.
Partly mutual accusations
On the contrary, the start of this lengthy procedure was rather marked by serious – sometimes mutual – accusations. The former head of development only claims to have heard of a “defeat device” in August 2015, which was used to bypass parts of the emissions control system. Even in the previous month there was only talk of “irregularities that might not be in conformity with the law”.
Another ex-manager had previously stated that the so-called acoustic function had never been presented to him separately. In the context of the “Dieselgate” investigations, the term is a kind of cover for the exhaust gas fraud program. Before the introduction of a “clean diesel” on the US market, there were many problems; according to the engine expert, the acoustic function played no particular role.
In their statements, the other two defendants also denied primary responsibility for the emissions scandal. The impression that technicians decided overnight to cheat customers is wrong, said a former head of drive electronics at Volkswagen. An expert in exhaust aftertreatment made serious accusations against the former CEO Winterkorn and the co-accused ex-board member. The process will continue on Tuesday (October 5th). Then the criminal chamber could begin with its questions to the defendants.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
