4 former executives of the German company “Volkswagen” giant for cars were convicted of fraud during their trial related to the diesel scandal, while the defendant’s defense committee announced its intention to appeal the ruling.
On Monday, the Economic Chamber of the Regional Court ruled – Monday – two of those accused of imprisonment for several years, and issued the two other prison sentences.
The court sentenced the former director to develop diesel engines to be imprisoned for 4 and a half years. The head of the movement of the movement transfer group was sentenced to two years and 7 months in prison. The former president to develop the basic brand of Volkswagen was sentenced to a year and 3 months in prison. The former head of the Diesel Emissions Control Department was sentenced to a year and 10 months in prison.
The intention of appeals
After pronouncing the conviction, the Defense Authority for the accused announced its intention to appeal the ruling. Lawyer Philip Germain said that “the ruling is wrong,” noting that the court exaggerated a great deal of sentence against his client, the former director of the engines electronics department, which the court sentenced him to two years and 7 months in prison.
This major issue dates back to September 2015, when it was discovered in the United States that Volkswagen has proven a program in its diesel cars to manipulate emissions tests.
This scandal, known globally as the “diesel scandal”, was introduced to the Wolfsburg Auto -based company – in a deep crisis, and led to countless lawsuits, and the costs of the company whose value estimated at approximately 33 billion euros (37.5 billion dollars).
The four defendants have been tried in the Braunshej Regional Court since September 2021. The ruling on conviction is not final, nor did the judicial investigations be completed despite the issuance of this ruling on conviction.
After this first trial and the complex case against the former company president, Martin Vintencoren, there are still 4 other criminal measures against a total of 31 open accused, according to a spokesman for the regional court in Brunsfagg.
