Former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was sentenced to a suspended sentence of one year and nine months on June 27, 2023 for fraud by negligence in the 2015 diesel scandal. He is the first former Volkswagen board member to receive such a sentence.
Rupert Stadler had pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2023 as part of a plea deal. He admitted that he knew about the use of emissions cheating software in Audi vehicles but did not take steps to stop it. The software was designed to make it appear that the vehicles were emitting fewer harmful pollutants than they actually were.
The scandal erupted in 2015 when it was revealed that Volkswagen had been using the software in millions of its diesel vehicles worldwide. The company has since admitted to cheating on emissions tests in the United States and agreed to pay billions of dollars in fines and settlements.
Stadler’s sentence is a significant development in the diesel scandal. It is the first time that a top manager at Volkswagen has been held accountable for the company’s actions. It remains to be seen whether other former executives will be charged or sentenced in the future.
