Volkswagen has received a largely positive interim conclusion from US overseer Larry Thompson with regard to the processing of the diesel scandal. After two minor violations at the beginning, no new breaches of the rules were found in the second year of his work, Thompson said in Wolfsburg. Now it is important that this remain so until the end of his activity as a controller in the summer of next year.
Thompson made it clear that Volkswagen is far from being off the hook. Only at the end of his activity to oversee the settlement agreed with the judiciary two and a half years ago to settle "Dieselgate" will it become clear whether the Group complies with all the principles of good corporate governance. "I did not say that everything was alright," Thompson warned.
Next year, the former FBI director wants to submit his third and final report. It depends on his vote whether the US judiciary leaves the car maker behind after three years of intensive control and the renewal of the compliance processes. Thompson was used by the US judiciary to process the diesel scandal.
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The management and ever larger parts of the workforce took the principles of compliance and the new corporate culture into account, said Werner. Evidence of violations would now be reported to more than 90 percent source and no longer anonymous. At first it was just 15 percent.
Thompson, together with a team of specialists, examines the company and learns not only confidential data but also business secrets that he is not allowed to pass on. That's why he gives hardly any details about his work.
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Thompson's work has also led to Volkswagen reporting on disciplinary action. This is to ensure that violations are not kept under the ceiling. "We sanctioned identified misconduct consistently and appropriately," said manager Werner.
For example, members of the management are required to report any evidence of a serious breach of the rules, since failure to do so is also a serious violation. In the first quarter of 2019 204 people were dismissed for irregular behavior, in 903 cases there were warnings and reprimands.
"It is not always conflict free"
About the cooperation with Thompson said Werner, although "sometimes it crunches in the entablature", - the cooperation with the US warden but was good. "It's clear that if you're under a probation officer, it's not fun and not always conflict-free, but we'll solve our problems together."
Compliance auditor Thompson should look Volkswagen on the finger, so that something like the diesel scandal can not be repeated. He monitors since 2017, whether the Wolfsburg comply with the US authorities closed settlement and implement the promised reforms.
In the negotiations with the US judiciary, VW had admitted having cheated with exhaust systems authorities and customers for years, violated environmental law and lied to the judiciary. The criminal settlement alone had a volume of four billion dollars. Overall, the processing of the million-fold worldwide exhaust gas manipulation cost Volkswagen so far 30 billion euros.
The group has recently been given a second watchdog by the US authorities. This is the result of an agreement that VW has concluded with the EPA to avoid being excluded from public contracts in the United States for the misdemeanors at the time.
