Volkswagen Engineer James Liang Pleads Guilty; Earns Three-Year Jail Sentence

James Liang, Volkswagen's Engineer, has pleaded guilty for his role in the emission scandal and the federal prosecutors have recommended a three-year prison sentence. Liang's role in the diesel emission scandal has cost the German carmaker almost $25 billion.

Liang, who has over 30 years of experience with Volkswagen and also a diesel engine expert is fully cooperating with prosecutors and will be sentenced on August 25.

Prosecutors at the US district court said Liang "provided an insider's perspective of a company that had lost its ethical moorings in pursuit of increased market share and corporate profits."

Oliver Schmidt, a former Volkswagen Executive also pleaded guilty earlier this month, after admitting to conspiring to mislead US regulators and violating clean air laws. Schmidt faces a seven-year prison term and a fine up to $400,000. He will be sentenced on December 6.

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Till date, prosecutors in the US have charged eight current and former executives in total in connection with the Volkswagen Diesel gate scandal. The carmaker used software to cheat emission tests, which has affected cars globally.

DriveSpark Thinks!

The Volkswagen Diesel Gate scandal is an ongoing affair, which has affected cars in India too. Recently, Volkswagen has submitted a recall roadmap for over 3 lakh cars before the National Green Tribunal. Although the carmaker is facing law suits in several countries, Volkswagen is not facing any legal issues here, perhaps a reason why the recall is not taken seriously.