German justice has imposed a fine of 42.5 million euros on the German automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen as part of the sprawling scandal of faked diesel engines, the Stuttgart prosecutor's office announced on Wednesday.
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The courts highlighted " breaches of the duty of supervision ", the only possible legal basis for the criminal prosecution of a company in Germany, adding that ZF has given up appealing.
The prosecution accuses ZF of having delivered to " German and foreign manufacturers " engine parts " whose software sometimes included an illegal functionality " which led " to a manufacturer " to " vehicles emit more oxides nitrogen than allowed, "according to a press release. " The possibility of fraudulent use of software has been insufficiently examined, " according to the magistrates.
" Determining whether ZF employees participated illegally in the actions of the builders remains the subject of an investigation, " said the prosecution, who said that ZF officials " cooperated constructively " with the investigators.
ZF Friedrichshafen, an unlisted company almost 95% owned by a foundation which owns the two heirs of the famous Zeppelin manufacturer, is poised to become the third largest automotive supplier behind Bosch and Continental with the takeover of the American company. - Wabco barge.
The fine is part of the “ dieselgate ” rigged diesel engine scandal , which erupted in September 2015, when Volkswagen admitted to having rigged 11 million vehicles with software capable of making them appear less polluting in laboratory tests than on the roads.
German car industry splashed
These manipulations have splashed almost the entire German automotive industry, industrial flagship and pride of the country, which is still struggling to get out of this historic crisis.
The equipment supplier Bosch was fined € 90 million in May 2019. Several brands of the Volkswagen group have agreed to pay a total of 2.3 billion euros in fines in Germany on the same legal basis.
Dieselgate has already cost the world's largest manufacturer more than 30 billion euros, most of which is in the United States.
In Germany, Volkswagen will pay at least 750 million euros to compensate 235,000 customers, and offer amicable settlements to nearly 60,000 others after the country's highest civil court ordered partial reimbursement of buyers in late May of a rigged car.
The first major criminal trial in Germany will open in September with the former boss of Audi, Rupert Stadler, accused in particular of " fraud ", " issuing false certificates " and " false advertising ".
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