Volkswagen seeks damages from former managers for emissions scandal

Volkswagen is seeking damages from former managers, who were eliminated for their roles in the diesel emissions scandal that has cost the automaker more than $30 billion, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Thursday.

Volkswagen submitted the claims for damages as part of labor court disputes at the end of 2018, the newspaper noted, without providing details of which former employees it had targeted or how high the overall damages claims might be.

Volkswagen refused to comment on the report.

Handelsblatt stated Volkswagen has ousted six managers since it admitted in 2015 to illegally setting up software in U.S. vehicles for years to evade emissions standards. It stated all six were fighting their ousters.

Volkswagen pleaded guilty in 2017 as part of a $4.3 billion U.S. settlement. Overall, nine people have been charged in the diesel emissions scandal and two VW ex-executives have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison terms.

Handelsblatt stated Volkswagen was seeking to recover a large part of the 4 million euros ($4.60 million) the automaker paid for the defense of one of the jailed former executives, Oliver Schmidt, who was handed a seven year prison sentence in 2017.

The newspaper mentioned Schmidt’s lawyer as saying his client would protest the move by Volkswagen.