Volkswagen is challenging claims made by the Justice Department over its diesel emissions scandal, disputing the American authorities’ jurisdiction and contending that the allegations against it do not justify charges.
The Justice Department took legal action against Volkswagen in January, saying that the automaker had actually installed unlawful devices in nearly 600,000 cars sold in the United States that hindered emissions controls, increasing damaging air contamination. Volkswagen admitted in September that it had set up software application to cheat on emissions tests in 11 million diesel automobiles globally.
However in a response to the Justice Department, filed Tuesday in San Francisco, the German automaker appeared to back away from its mea culpa, stating that the truths of the case remained uncertain which it was still performing an internal investigation.
It likewise challenged the court’s jurisdiction over Volkswagen, and over its subsidiary Audi, stating that vehicles in the United States were sold through regional businesses and not the parent firms. It stated that the statute of limitations voided any conduct at Volkswagen prior to 2010.
Looking at the whole scenario, the Justice Department “fails to allege facts sufficient” for any charges, Volkswagen legal representatives stated. However the automaker described the filing as part of the legal process, and stated it has no bearing on Volkswagen’s commitment to dealing with the U.S. federal government’s settlements.
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It is time for US authorities to double down in their prosecution of these environmental criminals. If VW tries to squirm out of these charges, they should be hit with more charges from every state, province and country where a cheating diesel was sold, each trying to impose the maximum possible penalty. The US Clean Air Act does not provide for jail time but laws in Canada and South Korea do. It is time for a tag-team beat down of these scofflaws.