Germany fines Bosch over \'dieselgate\' role

Germany fines Bosch over 'dieselgate' role

AFP  |  Frankfurt Am Main (Germany) 

German prosecutors said Thursday they had fined 90 million euros (USD 100 million) over its role supplying components in the "dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal.

investigators "levied a fine against GmbH for negligently infringing its quality control obligations," they said in a statement, adding that the German company had agreed not to contest the fine.

The 90 million-euro sum is made up of a penalty of two million, while the remaining 88 million covers the estimated economic benefit gained from the crimes.

Beginning in 2008, Bosch "delivered around 17 million motor control and to various domestic and foreign manufacturers, some of whose software contained illegal strategies," the prosecutors found.

"Cars fitted with the devices emitted more nitrogen oxides than allowed under regulations." admitted in 2015 to fitting 11 million cars worldwide with such technology, and the fallout has so far cost the German more than 30 billion euros. Further legal proceedings are outstanding against both VW and former executives as individuals.

For Bosch, the fine closes legal proceedings against the company over dieselgate.

While prosecutors are still probing whether employees were involved in criminal actions, authorities believe "the initiative for the integration and form of the illegal strategies both came from employees at the car manufacturers" rather than suppliers like Bosch.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, May 23 2019. 15:46 IST