A court in Braunschweig, Germany, on Monday found four former Volkswagen executives guilty of fraud related to the emissions manipulation scandal that has shadowed the automaker for nearly a decade. Two of the convicted managers were sentenced to prison.
The former head of diesel development received a prison term of four and a half years, while the head of drive train electronics was sentenced to two years and seven months behind bars. Two other managers were handed suspended sentences of 15 months and 10 months respectively.
The scandal came to light in September 2015, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed that Volkswagen had installed software in diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests. This “defeat device” allowed cars to emit significantly higher levels of pollutants during real-world driving than permitted by regulations.
Volkswagen has since paid over $33 billion in fines and compensation to affected vehicle owners. In the United States, two VW executives received prison sentences, and Rupert Stadler, former head of Audi, was given a suspended sentence of 21 months along with a fine of 1.1 million euros ($1.25 million), although his sentence remains under appeal.
Notably absent from this trial, which spanned almost four years, was former CEO Martin Winterkorn. His legal proceedings have been put on hold due to health reasons, and no trial date has been set. Winterkorn continues to deny any involvement in the wrongdoing.
Legal action is ongoing against 31 other suspects in Germany in connection with the case.