Top Volkswagen executives on trial for corruption in Germany

The proceedings against Hartz have been conducted at rapid speed. Although the indictment against Hartz included 44 criminal offences, among them bribery, undue influence and breach of fiduciary duty to the tune of €2.6 million, his initial appearance in court only lasted a matter of hours. After a brief deliberation the chairman of the judges, Gerstin Dreyer, declared that the court had reached a prior agreement with all involved: on the basis of a credible confession, Hartz’s punishment would be limited to a two-year suspended sentence and a fine of approximately €300,000. This decision was then ratified on Friday.

Under no circumstances did Volkswagen want details of the corruption of the long-standing works council chairman Klaus Volkert and at least a further 23 works council members to be aired in open court. A full court hearing might have raised the question: what did Volkert do in return for receiving “special bonuses” totalling €1.9 million between 1995 to 2005—not including payment of €399,000 to his Brazilian lover?

“It would have been quite interesting to discuss in the courtroom, or possibly later before the High Court, the question whether the alleged bribing of a works council boss harmed or benefited the enterprise. Perhaps the money paid was worth it. Since every day of industrial peace is worth a great deal of cash,” wrote Hans Leyendecker in the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

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http://wsws.org/articles/2007/jan2007/volk-j27.shtml