VW Dieselgate scandal: Ex-Audi executive pleads guilty for using illegal defeat devices
Former Volkswagen executive Wolfgang Hatz, who was the head of engine development at Audi and then R&D chief at Porsche, pleaded guilty to using illegal defeat devices that helped various VW cars cheat emissions, in the VW dieselgate scandal.
The infamous Dieselgate scandal that the Volkswagen group was involved in a few years ago, just doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. After a long and arduous trial in a German court, a former top executive at German carmaker Audi on Tuesday pleaded guilty over the “dieselgate” emissions-cheating scandal that rocked Audi’s parent company.
According to his lawyer, Wolfgang Hatz and two other coworkers organised the installation of prohibited software to rig emissions in diesel automobiles.
Hatz is anticipated to receive a reduced sentence as a result of his confession. It is unclear if former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, the primary defendant in the case and the first car executive in Germany to face trial over the scandal, would file a guilty plea as well.
Volkswagen, whose brands include Porsche, Audi, Skoda, and Seat, revealed in September 2015 that it had installed software to manipulate emissions in 11 million diesel vehicles throughout the world.
In lab testing, the so-called defeat devices made the vehicles look less polluting than they were on the road.
Hatz’s lawyer stated on Tuesday that the defendant “recognised and accepted” that the software would be regarded as an unlawful defeat device in Germany and might also possibly violate American regulations.
The former executive, who was head of engine development at Audi and then R&D chief at Porsche, expressed sorrow for not acting appropriately. Judge Stefan Weickert called his admission a “turning point” in the two-and-a-half-year-long trial.
Hatz’s confession came after the court offered suspended sentences for defendants who admitted guilt in March. If convicted, the accused risked up to ten years in prison.
Although the prosecution has opposed, the court and defence now prefer a suspended sentence of 18 to 24 months and a fine of 400,000 euros ($440,000) for Hatz. The court indicated a hearing on Stadler’s participation will take place behind closed doors later Tuesday.
Also read: Volkswagen denies allegations that its chairman knew about emissions cheating beforehand
So far, the former Audi CEO has disputed the claims levelled against him, which include fraud, fabricating certificates, and fraudulent advertising. However, if Stadler confesses, he might face a suspended term and a fine. An Audi engineer on trial also agreed to a suspended sentence and a fine on Tuesday.
Volkswagen has long maintained that the diesel deception was the result of a small group of lower-level employees acting without the knowledge of their superiors, but prosecutors disagree.
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