DüsseldorfThe US judicial authorities want in the diesel scandal of the VolkswagenGroup now also former executives of Audi hold to account. A grand jury in the state of Michigan has filed charges against four executives, including ex-CEO Stefan Knirsch and former diesel engine development chief Richard Bauder.
The quartet is accused in twelve cases of conspiracy, fraud and violations of US environmental laws. According to the indictment, they are said to have been part of a nearly 10-year conspiracy that violated US environmental laws through targeted manipulation of emissions testing and fraud against customers.
The accused ex-Audi executives threaten in the United States harsh punishments. Two earlier ones VWEmployees are already in jail there, sentenced to more than three or seven years in prison for complicity in the diesel scandal. The four former Audi employees, however, are currently all in Germany on, an extradition does not threaten the German citizens.
Out of the accused quartet ex-development director Stefan Knirsch is ranked highest. Knirsch, who joined his career in 1990 Audi started and many years ago for many years Porsche and a short time for Rheinmetall worked, had only returned to Audi in 2013. He headed aggregate development for three years until he joined the board in 2016, where he was responsible for technical development. At the time he was following Ulrich Hackenberg, who had to go because of the diesel affair.
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But after only nine months on the pitch, Knirsch had to leave in September 2016. The law firm Jones Day, which examines the exhaust gas scandal internally for the VW Group, should have found information that burdened the crunch. Nevertheless, he did not leave the company empty-handed. Audi gave 3.8 million euros to the top engineer – for the “premature departure from the board,” as stated in the annual report.
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Finally in 2017 Stefan Knirsch was heavily burdened by ex-Audi engine developer Giovanni Pamio. He presented the prosecutor in Munich with a 28-page paper, which shows that he already wanted to inform Knirsch in October 2013 about the unauthorized “Defeat Devices”.
According to Pamio, he has submitted to him a written risk assessment with reference to the law violations in the United States. Knirsch, at that time chief engine developer, failed to inform the authorities. The public prosecutor Munich is currently conducting a preliminary investigation against him Knirsch. On request, Knirsch was for an opinion on the indictment in the US previously unattainable.
Besides Knirsch, Richard Bauder is also responsible for another well-known former Audi executive in the USA. Bauder served for more than four decades in the service of the Ingolstadt car maker. In 2012 he retired.
Among engine connoisseurs, he is considered one of the fathers of the diesel direct injection engine TDI, a milestone in Audi’s success story. Bauder led from 1993 to 2012, the diesel engine development, internally and in the competition called him awesome “diesel pope”. He appears to be suspected of involvement in the fraud. The Audi developed V6 three-liter diesel engine was installed in 80,000 cars and sold from 2009 to 2015 in the US as a “clean diesel”.
In truth, the cars were much dirtier than given. This past is now catching up with the engine developer, who told a local newspaper just before he retired: There are many beautiful things waiting for me that I have not been able to tackle properly for lack of time. Bauder could not be contacted on request. He left earlier requests without comment. In the US, the VW Group has already pleaded guilty. And Audi already paid a fine of 800 million euros in this country.
It is amazing, meanwhile, that among the US none of the three former Audi executives who were in this country for many months in prison: Ex-chief executive Rupert Stadler, former manager Wolfgang Hatz and Giovanni Pamio. Against all three, however, further determined in Germany.