Volkswagen Sex Scandal, Revisited
A lover of a former Volkswagen labor leader has been charged for aiding in breach of trust over her role in a bribery scandal, Focus Magazin reports. The scandal had rocked Volkswagen, destroyed the image of the German metalworker union IG Metall, and aided in toppling the center-left government of Gerhard Schröder in 2005.
According to prosecutors in Braunschweig, a 47-year-old woman from Brazil received €250,000 euros ($327,000) under sham contracts between 2002 and 2005. It is also alleged that she billed Volkswagen for travel costs and language courses, totaling €100,000 ($130,000.) The woman was not identified, but anybody who has been close to the upper echelons of Volkswagen in those days knows that it can’t be anyone else than the buxom Brazilian Adriana Barros.
Barros was the generously compensated lover of Klaus Volkert, then chief of Volkswagen’s works council and in that function Deputy Chairman of Volkswagen’s Supervisory board. According to the Daily Mail, “a senior group of management with access to huge unaccountable sums of money” had hatched a plan “to weaken the unions’ clout with a honeytrap – luring officials into compromising situations.”
Beginning in 2005, coinciding with an election year, there was a steady drip of salacious rumors and innuendos that turned German business papers into purveyors of porn. Lynchpins of the scandal were, at least officially, Volkswagen’s personnel head, Social Democrat and IG Metall member Peter Harz, and Volkert. According to Daily Mail, there were “lavish trips for shop stewards with prostitutes, parties, and luxury hotels in Brazil and Lisbon – all disguised as business expenses.”
As part of the deal, the married Volkert received a steady concubine, Adriana Barros. Barrios was flown first class from Brazil to Germany several times. The woman was “generously supported by Volkswagen,” wrote FAZ. “The payments were camouflaged as an advertising contract.” German media wrote that Barros and Volkert met in an apartment paid by Volkswagen. According to Focus, Barros was “sponsored by Volkswagen for many years.” Out of 14 accused, Volkert was the only one who went to jail. He received 2 years. After one year and nine months, he was set free
As far as the buxom Brazilian is concerned, I’d say she provided proper services. She simply wrote the wrong bills.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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A-Ha! Another front heavy VW.
According to the Focus article you link to, Volkert was sentenced to 2 years and nine months, not 2 years. HTH!