German prosecutors seek jail terms in VW 'dieselgate' trial
German prosecutors asked for jail sentences Friday in the trial of four former Volkswagen managers accused of fraud in the "dieselgate" emissions-cheating scandal.
The defendants allegedly organised commercial fraud and tax evasion in the scandal which has rocked the global car industry since September 2015, when Volkswagen admitted tampering with millions of diesel vehicles to dupe pollution tests.
The defendants include Heinz-Jakob Neusser, former technical director at Volkswagen, and three others only named by prosecutors as Jens H., Hanno J. and Thorsten D.
The former managers at the German auto giant held a variety of posts in product development, including emissions management.
Prosecutors requested jail sentences of three years for two of the accused and four years for another, a spokeswoman for the regional court in Brunswick said in a statement.
A two-year suspended sentence was sought for the final defendant.
The spokeswoman did not specify which defendant prosecutors had targeted with which sentence.
The quartet, who have been on trial since 2021, were initially set to have their cases heard alongside former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn.
But the court decided to split off proceedings against Winterkorn, who was unable to appear because of ill health.
The former auto executive finally went on trial in September, before the court again suspended proceedings in October, while he was not fit to take the stand.
The highest-ranking former executive to have been convicted in the scandal so far is ex-Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, who was fined and given a suspended sentence in 2023 after admitting to fraud by negligence.
The dieselgate affair had already cost VW more than 30 billion euros ($34 billion) in fines, legal costs and compensation to car owners, mainly in the United States.
bur-sea/fz/rl
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Elon Musk body-checked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ‘like a rugby player' during fiery clash at White House: report
Elon Musk aggressively body-checked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in the White House after being called a fraud – igniting a fiery clash that sparked the billionaire's messy falling-out with President Trump, a new report claims. The heated scuffle broke out in mid-April after both men pitched rival plans for the Internal Revenue Service to Trump in the Oval Office, with the president ultimately backing Bessent's choice, the Washington Post quoted former White House official Steven Bannon as saying. The pair left the meeting hurling insults at each other within earshot of the president's office, Bannon told the outlet. Advertisement 3 Elon Musk reportedly hurled his body into Scott Bessent's rib cage during a heated scuffle in the White House. Getty Images 'Scott said, 'You're a fraud. You're a total fraud,'' Bannon said, referencing the-then Department of Government Efficiency honcho's attempt to slash $1 trillion in federal spending. The verbal spat turned allegedly physical when the world's richest man rammed his shoulder into Bessent's rib cage 'like a rugby player,' prompting the treasury chief to fight back, the paper said Bannon claimed. Advertisement Bannon told the outlet it took multiple people to break up the playground tussle, before the SpaceX and Tesla founder was quickly removed from the West Wing. 'President Trump heard about it and said, 'This is too much,'' said Bannon, who has long been critical of Musk and his involvement in Trump's campaign and presidency. 3 The fiery clash started when Bessent called Musk a 'fraud.' Francis Chung/UPI/Shutterstock The latest details on Musk's dramatic White House exit emerged just days after the X owner went on a multi-day social media rampage against the commander in chief over his support of the 'big, beautiful' bill making its way through Congress. Advertisement Their breakup has unfolded in real time on social media and escalated after Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday that he was 'disappointed' in the ex-DOGE chief, noting, 'I've helped Elon a lot.' 3 The latest details on Musk's dramatic White House exit emerged just days after the X owner went on a multi-day social media spiral against Trump. FRANCIS CHUNG/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Musk proceeded to lash out against the president, accusing the Trump administration of withholding documents related to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein because the president would be mentioned in them. Trump charged that Musk has gone 'crazy' and threatened to cancel the 'Billions and Billions' of dollars in contracts and subsidies the entrepreneur receives from the federal government. Advertisement Bannon also demanded a federal investigation into Musk's immigration status, pressing that he should be deported 'immediately.' Musk, who hails from South Africa, is an American citizen, according to reports. The White House and Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reps for Musk couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
A 12-day search ends less than 2 miles away: How 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer was caught
A 12-day search ends less than 2 miles away: How 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer was caught Show Caption Hide Caption Ex-Arkansas police chief imprisoned for murder escapes prison Grant Hardin, a former Gateway, Arkansas, police chief serving time for murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. unbranded - Newsworthy The former Arkansas police chief who escaped prison disguised as a guard only made it about a mile-and-a-half away from the facility in the 12 days before he was captured, officials said. Convicted murderer and rapist Grant Hardin was found at about 3 p.m. on June 6 west of the North Central Unit state prison near Moccasin Creek in Izard County, Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesperson Rand Champion said in a statement. In a photo of his arrest, Hardin is seen sitting on the ground in a vegetated area with his hands behind his back in a baseball cap and dirty T-shirt and pants. Hardin, 56, was in prison serving a decadeslong sentence for the 2017 murder of water department employee James Appleton in Gateway, Arkansas, and the 1997 rape of a school teacher in nearby Rogers. He's known as the "Devil in the Ozarks," the name of a 2023 TV documentary about his crimes. His escape on May 25 involved dressing up in a makeshift outfit to disguise himself as a corrections officer, tricking a real officer into opening a gate and allowing him to walk out of the medium-security facility, court records said. He will now be housed at the high-security Varner Unit in Gould, Arkansas, Champion said. Here's what we know about Hardin's capture and escape: Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more How was Hardin caught, ending 12-day manhunt? Authorities said tracking dogs picked up Hardin's scent and were able to lead them to Hardin. Hundreds of law enforcement officers at the local, state and federal level spent nearly two weeks searching for Hardin, using dogs, drones and aircraft, at times hampered by severe weather. Moccasin Creek where he was found has seen high water due to heavy rainfall in the last two weeks, which may have limited Hardin's ability to move around. It also prevented authorities from finding him sooner. Champion said search teams had looked through the area before but couldn't fully investigate because of the high water. Though Hardin was previously thought to have left the state, Champion said investigators now believe he never got very far at all from the prison. He was fingerprinted and assessed at the North Central Unit before being moved to the Varner Unit, Champion said. He will be interviewed in the coming days. How did he escape? Hardin slipped away from the prison the afternoon of May 25 wearing a "makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement," the Arkansas Department of Corrections said. "Inmate Hardin impersonated a corrections officer in dress and manner causing the Corrections Officer operating a secure gate to open the gate and allow Inmate Hardin to walk away from the North Central Unit," Special Agent Dennis Simons of the Izard County Sheriff's Office wrote in an arrest affidavit. A photo from surveillance footage showed Hardin wearing the outfit and pushing a loaded cart as he escaped. Champion said Hardin was gone for about 20 minutes when an officer noticed he was missing. 'Devil in the Ozarks' killer: Why was it so hard to find Grant Hardin? His escape came amid an ongoing weekslong search for escaped inmates in Louisiana. On May 16, 10 inmates broke out of a New Orleans jail; two are still on the run as of June 7. Who is Grant Hardin? Hardin pleaded guilty to the Feb. 23, 2017, murder of Appleton. Appleton's brother-in-law and the mayor of Gateway at the time, Andrew Tillman, told police he was on the phone with Appleton while Appleton was driving his truck. Appleton pulled over so he wouldn't lose signal while on the phone with Tillman, Tillman told investigators. Tillman heard what sounded like a car door slamming shut, then nothing. A witness also told police they saw someone pulled over behind the truck in a car and heard a gunshot, and identified the driver as Hardin. Appleton was found dead in his truck with a gunshot to the side of his head and face. After his conviction, his DNA was matched with that from an unsolved rape case in 1997, in which a teacher said she was attacked while at school by a man who held her at gunpoint, according to court records. Hardin pleaded guilty to charges related to the rape. Hardin's combined convictions added up to 80 years in prison sentences. Hardin was the chief of police in Gateway for about four months in 2016, the Associated Press reported. He was also terminated from roles at other police departments, local outlets have reported.
The Hill
5 hours ago
- The Hill
Sunday shows preview: Trump-Musk spat leaves admin reeling; ‘Big, beautiful bill' hits speed bump
President Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk's feud spilled out in public on Thursday, with the world's richest man and the world's most powerful leader trading barbs that engulfed news cycles in Washington and abroad. Musk, a Trump ally, was vocal about his disappointment with Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' currently sitting in the Senate. Musk, who spent millions during the 2024 presidential campaign to help elect Trump, called the massive piece of legislation a 'disgusting abomination.' Trump then weighed in on Thursday at the White House during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit, saying, 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore.' The spat intensified, with Musk floating the prospects of creating a third party, claiming that without his political contributions, Trump would not be victorious against ex-Vice President Harris in November and accusing the president of having ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump threatened to cut off federal contracts awarded to Musk's companies. Later on Thursday, Musk signaled he might be open to brokering a truce with the commander-in-chief. After speaking with several news outlets Friday morning, Trump suggested he is ready to move on and indicated that he will not be speaking with Musk for a while. Trump told CNN Friday morning that he is 'not even thinking about Elon' and added that the SpaceX and Tesla CEO has 'got a problem. The poor guy's got a problem.' In the Senate, Trump's agenda bill, which passed the House chamber last month, has sparked concerns and criticism from GOP senators. The first group of GOP Sens., which consists of Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), are arguing they could vote against the bill if it slashes Medicaid benefits. Others, including Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) have previously said they would not back the legislation if it retains the current debt and spending levels. The GOP can have three defections total if all Democrats vote against the legislation. Sen. Johnson will be on CNN's 'State of the Union where he will likely discuss if any of his concerns regarding the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' have been addressed. As part of a push to root out waste, fraud and abuse within Medicare, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said this week that a bill sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), that would crack down on Medicare Advantage overpayments known as 'upcoding,' could be inserted into Trump's massive legislation. Cassidy will be on NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday,' where he will likely discuss the latest on the reconciliation package along with his recent visit to the White House. NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday': Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.); Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Ma); U.S. Chamber of Commerce chief policy officer Neil Bradley. ABC's 'This Week': Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). NBC's 'Meet the Press': Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). CNN's 'State of the Union': 'Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.); Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.). CBS' 'Face the Nation': National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett; Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.); Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas); Save the Children U.S. President and CEO Janti Soeripto. 'Fox News Sunday': Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought; Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.); Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures': Secretary Of Interior Doug Burgum, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.); House Ways And Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.); Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
