Volkswagen Board Totally Cool With Management's Actions, Despite Ongoing Investigation

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Investigators are still probing Volkswagen’s actions in the diesel emissions scandal, but the board that oversees the actions of the company’s top brass isn’t too concerned.

The supervisory board, made up of investor and labor interests, just cleared Volkswagen’s management of any breaches of duty in 2015 in preparation for their annual shareholders meeting, Bloomberg reports.

To say 2015 was an eventful year for Volkswagen is akin to saying Neil Armstrong had fun in the late ’60s. It was so eventful, its CEO took a permanent vacation. Many medicine cabinets in Wolfsburg were likely renovated to handle an influx of new prescriptions.

Among the head honchos at Volkswagen cleared by the board was its CEO, Matthias Mueller, who took the helm when Martin Winterkorn left the top position shortly after the scandal broke. The board recommended that shareholders ratify management’s 2015 decisions, an action required by German law.

The significance of the board’s actions comes from the fact the members based their stance on facts arising from the internal investigation conducted by law firm Jones Day.

The investigation’s findings remain a secret until the process wraps up later this year, but if the supervisory board feels this confident, it’s easy to speculate that the report won’t finger existing management for wrongdoing in the “defeat device” saga.

That said, the investigation isn’t over, and everyone at Volkswagen is keeping mum on what the investigators have, or haven’t, uncovered.

This is the second (mild) piece of good news for Volkswagen execs this week. Recently, sources leaked news that the automaker is close to reaching a fix for its 3.0-liter TDI models in the U.S., one that keeps 85,000 vehicles on the road and avoids a costly buyback program.

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Montecarl Montecarl on May 11, 2016

    Yep....A loaded up 2016 VW Passat is looking more attractive about now

  • 6250Claimer 6250Claimer on May 11, 2016

    I recently noticed that the "new" 2015 Golf TDI's are again being sold by dealers, typically listed with little or no discount from MSRP. When did that start back up? Meanwhile most dealers are offering the gas versions of just about everything at steep discounts.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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