Volkswagen AG pleaded guilty on Friday to three felony counts as part of a US$4.3 billion plea agreement reached with the Justice Department in January over the automaker’s massive diesel emissions scandal.
Volkswagen agreed to change the way it operates in the United States and other countries under the settlement. VW, the world’s largest automaker by sales, in January agreed to pay US$4.3 billion in US civil and criminal fines.
In total, VW has agreed to spend up to US$25 billion in the United States to address claims from owners, environmental regulators, states and dealers and offer to buy back about 500,000 polluting US vehicles.
VW general counsel Manfred Doess made the plea on the company’s behalf after he said at a hearing in US District Court in Detroit that he was authorised by the board of directors of VW to enter a guilty plea.
“Your honour, VW AG is pleading guilty to all three counts because it is guilty on all three counts,” Doess told the court.
US District Judge Sean Cox accepted the guilty plea to conspiracy to commit fraud, obstruction of justice and entry of goods by false statement charges. Doess said the criminal acts occurred in Germany and United States.