Former Audi engineer points the finger at senior managers over “dieselgate” scandal

Two years after Volkswagen admitted there are “emissions irregularities” with their vehicles, prosecutors are still investigating the company to find out which employees were involved in facilitating the scandal, who knew what, and who played a part in hiding the deceit from authorities.

Zaccheo Giovanni Pamio is reportedly being held in a German jail for his alleged participation in the scandal while working as the head engineer of thermodynamics for Audi’s engine development department. He has since reportedly provided German investigators with statements and evidence of his involvement and knowledge of the scandal.

Evidence given reportedly implicates others at the management level who may have been aware of the emissions scandal before it was exposed. No names have been revealed and no members of the company’s management board have been charged so far.

Former chairman of advocacy group International Corporate Governance Network, Christian Strenger, said the implications can help investigators get closer to the truth:

“The net is drawing closer on the present and former management board… the evidence is revealing more and more they were part of the whole affair more or less from the beginning.”

Charges against executives

Earlier this year, Pamio was charged along with five other executives; one of whom was Oliver Schmidt, who pleaded guilty and has also been reportedly working with investigators in unravelling the scandal.

The U.S. requested that the executives be incarcerated in Germany whilst extradition applications were made.

In time, Pamio and Schimdt may well be joined by other employees in working with investigators to reveal which top-level Volkswagen board members and management (if any) are to be blamed for the cheating and covering up what was going on.

Management allegedly knew

Pamio’s defence lawyer, Walter Lechner, confirmed Pamio revealed to prosecutors that top Audi managers knew all the way back into 2006 that Audi cars weren’t able to pass American and European emissions regulation standards. According to Pamio’s statement, these top level managers were aware that vehicles could not carry enough AdBlue solution to neutralise the harmful NOx the vehicles emit.

According to investigations conducted in conjunction with anti-competitive probes, Audi and its parent company, Volkswagen, met with competitors Daimler and BMW to discuss how to get around the AdBlue problem. As large AdBlue tanks were very expensive, it’s thought these automakers decided not to redesign engines to facilitate the emissions neutraliser, but rather come up with software that can make authorities think that NOx emissions levels are much lower than they actually are.

Protracted interviews

Lechner said that prosecutors have interviewed the former Audi engineer ten times and will continue to do so. To substantiate what he’s been telling prosecutors, Pamio has reportedly disclosed various emails and documents as proof.

In providing this information and agreeing to testify, Pamio seems keen to show that senior managers knew about the cheating for years, and lower level employees were simply doing as they were told.

Audi and Volkswagen had unsurprisingly refused to comment at present time.

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