Prosecutors Say VW Destroyed Evidence And Coached Employees To Lie To Investigators - Five Top Officials Charged

Volkswagen Group's nearly decade-old plot to cheat U.S. emissions tests -- all while marketing its diesel cars as environmentally friendly -- was quickly unraveling by 2015. A campaign to mislead regulators was failing so badly that top executives signed off on a script for employees to use when questioned.

It didn't work. The next day, Aug. 19, 2015, an employee went off script and told regulators for the first time that its diesel cars were designed to behave differently during emissions tests, according to court documents. In the home office in Germany, some executives and engineers began deleting documents related to U.S. emissions and the company's head of engine development told an assistant to dispose of a hard drive containing emails from him and other supervisors.

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TheSteve - 1/12/2017 1:16:40 PM

+2 Boost

Hmmm. Looks like US authorities are still not good with the "I was just following orders" line.

I remember (now former) VW CEO and chairman of the board of directors, Martin Winterkorn's first public and televised response to the Dieselgate scandal: "...This is not who we are..."

According to the news I've been seeing since 2015, yes, this is EXACTLY who VW is :-( Systemic management through intimidation and fear. Fraudulent and ethically questionable practices. Scapegoating. Lying and stonewalling while publicly proclaiming "we are co-operating with authorities." Not a pretty picture.

rockreid - 1/12/2017 1:56:16 PM

+1 Boost

FINALLY it seems the largest case of Felony Fraud in human history may actually see some top level execs behind bars.

We'll see. Somehow I doubt it and they will negotiate coughing up a few $$Million in restitution or they will spend some time in a tennis court picket fence facility rather than solid concrete walls and being some 300lb ex-Linebacker's personal pincushion.