Volkswagen Pleads Guilty in Emissions Fraud Case

Volkswagen pleaded guilty in a US District Court on Friday to charges relating to the “Dieselgate” scandal that was reported in 2015.

“US authorities on September 18, 2015, accused VW of installing so-called ‘defeat devices’ in nearly half a million cars between 2009 and 2015 to make them seem less polluting than they were. Investigators found that some cars spewed out up to 40 times more harmful nitrogen oxide — linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases — than legally allowed,” AFP explained on the origins of Dieselgate.

Friday, VW admitted for the first time to multiple criminal charges relating to the scandal, Reuters reports. The judge overseeing the case in the US District Court in Detroit accepted the guilty plea from VW and will issue a sentence at a hearing on April 21st.

“The agreements that we have reached with the US government reflect our determination to address misconduct that went against all of the values Volkswagen holds so dear,” said Volkswagen in a statement. “The plea today is another important step forward for our company and all our employees, and we look forward to concluding this matter at the next hearing on April 21, 2017.”

Volkswagen is still also under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Internal Revenue Service. Many of the cars affected by Dieselgate were also shipped worldwide meaning that Volkswagen may undergo negotiations or law proceedings with multiple other countries before Dieselgate is put to rest.