Conspiracy went all the way to the top.
The United States government continues to seek justice for the effects of the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal, with former VW boss Martin Winterkorn the 9th person to be charged for their involvement in the scheme. Winterkorn was formally charged in March, though the indictment has remained sealed until the 3rd of May.
In addition to the violation of the Clean Air Act, Winterkorn has also been charged with wire fraud.
US attorney general Jeff Sessions said of the indictment:
“The indictment unsealed today alleged that Volkswagen’s scheme to cheat its legal requirements went all the way to the top of the company. These are serious allegations, and we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.” — Jeff Sessions, US Attorney General
Two previously-charged VW executives have already pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them, and are serving sentences in prison.
According to a report from Reuters, the US attorney’s office in Detroit clarified that Winterkorn is not presently in US custody. Six of the 9 charged VW executives, including Winterkorn, are currently in Germany, a country that isn’t known of extraditing its citizens to face charges abroad.
Volkswagen has so far spent more than US$30-billion in settlements and buy-backs since Dieselgate broke in 2015, and while they might not say it, the ramifications of the scandal have directly influenced the direction the company is taking insofar as its future heading is concerned.
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