Rupert Stadler is the most prominent Automanager at least temporarily behind bars, but not the only one: Except him are in terms of exhaust gas manipulation two other top managers from the VW Group in custody, two more have already been convicted.
Last year, the Audi engineer Giovanni P. had to be remanded. He provided the investigators with comprehensive material and burdened Rupert Stadler hard. After four and a half months, he was released for a deposit of 80,000 euros.
Wolfgang Hatz , the former head of Audi engine development, is in custody from September 2017. Hatz, who had risen to the development board of Porsche within the VW Group, was quickly on leave after the VW scandal came to light in the fall of 2015. He rejects all allegations against him and has filed complaints about his imprisonment to the Federal Constitutional Court.
Long list of accused persons
At the end of April 2018, Porsche engine developer Jörg Kerner was arrested. His escape reflex on the day of a major raid on Porsche He was clearly unambiguous: he did not even go to work, but turned around when he learned by phone that his home was being searched. In contrast to Hatz, Kerner has not applied for detention. Theoretically, it could therefore be that he sits for years in custody, because the investigation in the diesel scandal should drag on. However, the Code of Criminal Procedure provides for an independent review by the Higher Regional Court after six months.
In Germany, there are otherwise a few dozen concretely accused, into the top floors of the auto companies into it. The only German automaker without justice in the house is Opel. There, the public prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt has closed a preliminary investigation.
The longest list of defendants leads the prosecutor Braunschweig, which investigates 39 people for manipulations in terms of nitrogen oxide emissions, including against the former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn , Other cases involve ten accused persons (some of whom are the same) highlighting CO2 levels and deleting data.
Bosch is also involved
The prosecution Munich II has 20 accused in connection with the exhaust gas affair of Audi accused. The allegations are fraud, punishable advertising and document forgery. Also at BMW headquarters was searched in March and initiated investigations into suspected fraud. BMW CEO Harald Krüger stated that it was mistakenly wrong software has been installed.
There were raids in Stuttgart Daimler and Porsche. Specifically, two persons named by name are accused of fraud and punishable advertising at Daimler and three at Porsche. In addition, it is determined against unknown. The Bosch Group is confronted with a whole series of proceedings, supplying almost all automakers with diesel technology.
Investigations for aid to fraud with customers VW and Chrysler there are eight specifically named accused, in cooperation with Daimler and Audi is being investigated against unknown. Preliminary investigations are due to aid in connection with Fiat engines.
In addition to the actual diesel scandal They complain that they have not been informed about the scandal in time. The allegation of market manipulation is directed against the former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn and his successors Matthias Müller and Herbert Diess and the VW Supervisory Board Chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch. In the United States, two prison sentences have already been imposed in the VW scandal. In August 2017, Robert Liang was sentenced to 40 months ‘imprisonment and a $ 200,000 fine, and in December 2017, Oliver Schmidt was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and $ 400,000. Arrest warrants of the American judiciary exist against further German automanagers, above all Martin Winterkorn is affected.