Audi car corporation fined for fraud

This video from Australia says about itself:

Audi Chief Executive Rupert Stadler arrested over dieselgate scandal | Auto Expert John Cadogan

19 June 2018

Rupert Stadler, the boss of Audi, was arrested by German prosecutors on Monday.

Sunday June 10th was probably Professor Stadler’s last happy full day. Investigators invited themselves into his private residence a week ago Monday (imagine his delight – senior execs love that: We were driving past and saw your light on; just thought we’d drop in…) wherein they found interesting documentation relating to fraud and false advertising, allegedly.

The Financial Times says the information at Chateau Stadler helped them uncover another 20 suspects in the biggest public health scandal of the decade.

Big Rupie enjoyed that first date at his place so much that a week later he went back to their place to assist with enquiries, as tradition has it, and now it seems he’s moved in.

Audi has confirmed Gassy Rupert’s new domicile, while many news outlets say he’s been remanded in custody because they don’t trust him not to tamper with the evidence.

You’d think an advanced society like ze Chermans would have laws against perverting the course of justice…

Anyway, Isaac Newton said so famously about the mighty: such a long way to fall. From boardroom bigwig to polisher of Bubba’s big bratwurst behind bars in the Bavarian big house. Something of a literal and metaphoric comeuppance.

Or perhaps ze Chermans have a gilded cage for corporate high flyers whose moral compasses have led them off course? Hopefully a perspex one, where the guilty are force-fed clean diesel exhaust for the advancement of science, like the monkeys they are, until they are nought but dead men walking the not-so green mile.

But perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Like all advanced societies, Germany enjoys the presumption of innocence. Four-ring Rupie is of course innocent until a court determines he’s a filthy, contemptible, bullshitting streak of emissions cheating excrement (if in fact such a determination is ever forthcoming).

Audi’s former head of engine development, Wolfgang Hatz, was arrested in Germany in September 2017 and apparently remains behind bars there. Audi’s PR team globally has fought like the self-entitled bitches they are to distance the brand’s name from the Volkswagen scandal. Such is Audi’s disproportionate contribution to Volkswagen’s overall financial wellbeing. They’ve even applied for the shitness protection program. It’s that serious.

The dieselgate scandal has already hoovered up about 25 billion Euros of the company’s seemingly inexhaustible funds (mostly in the USA). Rupert Stadler is currently the most senior executive yet detained in the scandal, which at its core demonstrates an organisation owned by shareholders and yet sociopathically committed to pumping up the profit at seemingly any cost.

Even if that cost is killing thousands of people worldwide, prematurely, by poisoning the very air we breathe. Because that’s what dieselgate is really all about. This crime matters.

And now a comment from you – more specifically one of you. In this case, a respected lawyer whom I won’t name in order to protect his privacy. This e-mail was unsolicited and is a response to Mr Stadler’s arrest. “I would obtain great satisfaction in seeing the dagger driven home on this point – there is a foundation principle in capitalist theory at stake: ‘it is inequitable to retain ill-gotten gains’ – the principle of ‘justice in acquisition’.

“What is the complaint? First, the conduct was planned; Second, a solution to very high emission standards was achieved by engaging in research and development of a program designed to disguise the fact that the vehicle did not achieve the emission standard;

“Third, VW sold cars for a profit in multiple markets knowing that the vehicles [breached emissions standards by a significant margin];

Fourth, VW lied to regulators when the issue was uncovered;

Fifth, it is defending claims for compensation. “But they get to keep the cash, less of course a few fines which, although not tax deductible (in Australia at least), were no doubt factored in when the risk was being considered by those at VW who are responsible.

“If I (meaning our lawyer correspondent) engaged in such conduct, I would be struck off, lose my right to practice. If you (mening me) engaged in such conduct, ACMA (the Shitsville Communications and Media Authority) would have a party on your grave.

“Long live ethics in business.”

Translated from Dutch NOS TV today:

800 million fine for fraudulent diesels of Audi

Car manufacturer Audi has been fined EUR 800 million by the German authorities for the sale of fraudulent diesel cars. The company, part of the Volkswagen Group, accepts the fine and therefore admits being guilty. Volkswagen had previously been fined 1 billion euros because of the fraud scandal.

In the case of Audi, it concerns cars with V6 and V8 diesel engines, of which the company has sold almost 5 million worldwide since 2004. They were more polluting than permitted. And in emission testing, Audi used fraudulent software to hide that.

Audi big cheese Rupert Stadler was arrested in June. The German justice department suspects him of involvement in the fraud scandal.