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Hundreds of thousands of hoaxes – that’s just one of the accusations against former Audi boss Stadler in the diesel scandal. The trial against you begins today. He himself protests his innocence.
By Gabriel Wirth, BR
Audi was deeply involved in the emissions issue from the beginning. But when the scandal was discovered in September 2015, the Ingolstadt team initially managed to stay under cover. VW in Wolfsburg was at the center of the storm. Just days after the diesel scandal broke, VW boss Martin Winterkorn had to leave. But soon Audi also came into the researchers’ field of view.
Raids and arrests
One of the highlights of the investigations at Audi was the raid in March 2017. At the same time as the annual press conference, investigators searched the offices of the VW subsidiary. The then head of Audi, Rupert Stadler, promised to be ready to cooperate: “I myself am very interested in clarifying the matter and you can be sure that we are cooperating fully with the authorities.”
But investigators apparently had doubts about Stadler’s willingness to investigate. On June 11, 2018, investigators arrived at his home early in the morning and arrested the top manager – due to the risk of a blackout. They had tapped the top manager’s phone and overheard a suspicious conversation from Stadler.
The former chief marketing officer, Bram Schot, took over the leadership of the company, initially only on an interim basis. Stadler was only on leave; a probably unique event in German economic history that a sitting CEO is in prison for months. Months later, in October, he finally resigned and was shortly afterwards released.
Complex procedure
Stadler, now 57, and the other three defendants are charged with fraudulent activity not only with the Ingolstadt subsidiary, but also with sister brands Porsche and VW, indirect false certification and criminal advertising.
According to the Munich prosecutor’s office, the three engine developers, including later Porsche Development Director Wolfgang Hatz, developed the illegal deactivation device. The engine control software ensured that the cars recognized if they were on the dyno. Only then did they meet the required exhaust gas limits. On the other hand, nitrogen oxide levels were many times higher on the road.
Stadler is charged with having knowledge of the tampering no later than September 2015 and still either initiated or failed to prevent the sale of the affected vehicles. The Munich prosecutor’s office has obviously made its way into the matter, the indictment alone is nearly 100 pages long. There is also a long appendix. 181 trading dates are scheduled until the end of 2022.
Stadler rejects the accusations
The former Audi manager himself has repeatedly protested his innocence. However, it is to be expected that he will now be indicted by co-defendants in these proceedings. These are, namely, confessed. If convicted, Stadler faces up to ten years in prison.
In addition to Stadler, two other parties involved in the process have experience with the prison. Hatz and one of the engine developers were also detained for a few months. That shows the seriousness of the Munich prosecution service.
Process under corona conditions
The trial takes place in the high security court room in the basement of the Stadelheim prison. However, this has nothing to do with the importance of the process, it is the largest court that the Munich Regional Court has available. Then there is the good technical equipment. This could be important if, during the course of the trial, it is necessary to travel to the United States, for example, to question witnesses.
However, due to the distance rules of the crown, there is still room for 20 spectators in this gigantic process; ten of them are reserved for journalists. Due to the large number of people expected, additional media spaces were installed outside the courtroom. An audio signal is transmitted there.
