Johannes Thammer, head of Audi Volkswagen Korea, arrives at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning on the automaker’s suspected documents fabrication on August 11, 2016. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean court on Thursday handed a suspended prison sentence to the former head of Volkswagen’s Korean unit, nearly nine years after he was indicted for his role in the automaker’s emissions-rigging scandal.
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Johannes Thammer, former managing director of Audi Volkswagen Korea (AVK), to one year and six months in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of violating the Air Environment Conservation Act and other related laws.
Thammer, who has not appeared in court since his indictment in January 2017, was again absent from the sentencing. The court found him guilty of importing vehicles without proper certification, ruling that, as the company’s top executive, he was aware of the violations.
A number of high-level officials, including the local unit chief Johannes Thammer, were summoned in the process, but it was the first time that an executive from the German head office appeared before the prosecution here. (image: Yonhap)
“The defendant claimed he lacked knowledge of the misconduct, but evidence shows he was aware of it in his capacity as chief executive,” the court said.
However, the court acquitted him of allegations related to manipulating emissions data to evade the stricter Euro 6 standards and of obstruction of justice, citing insufficient evidence.
While acknowledging his responsibility as chief executive, the court noted that “although the cars were uncertified at the time of importation, they were certified before being sold, so it is difficult to conclude that direct harm occurred to consumers.”
Thammer was charged with importing uncertified vehicles, falsifying test results, and obstructing the Environment Ministry’s certification review process. His trial was delayed for years after he left for Germany following his indictment, forcing the court to proceed via public notification earlier this year.
A former AVK executive, Trevor Hill, who was tried alongside Thammer, was acquitted in September.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
