The Munich district court is to hand down a verdict on Tuesday, in the long-running trial of three former top Audi executives, for installing cheat software on the upmarket German manufacturer’s diesel vehicles. Former chief executive Rupert Stadler, former head of engine development Wolfgang Hatz and a former leading engineer identified under German privacy laws only as P, have all pleaded guilty. Following a trial lasting more than two and a half years, the court has indicated that the men face suspended prison sentences of between 18 months and two years, linked to the payment of substantial fines. Stadler faces a fine of pound 1.1 million ($1.2 million), while Hatz would have to pay pound 400,000 and P pound 50,000. The prosecution is in accordance with the court in the cases of Stadler and P, but continues to call for a prison sentence of three years and two months to be imposed on Hatz, without suspension. Stadler has admitted to failing to put a halt to the cheat software in vehicles sold in Europe after the scandal first broke in the United States in 2015. He has acknowledged failing to intervene after becoming aware of the manipulation of emissions tests. The other two accused faced the more serious charges of being behind the manipulation on large diesel engines designed for Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche. This ensured that they passed emission tests under controlled conditions, but then emitted more oxides of nitrogen than allowed when in normal use on the road.

Source: Ghana News Agency