MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - The Munich Regional Court has held out the prospect of a suspended sentence for former Audi boss Rupert Stadler if he confesses. He should have realized by July 2016 at the latest that the emissions values of diesel cars could have been manipulated, presiding judge Stefan Weickert said on Tuesday. Stadler should have gotten to the bottom of the matter, stopped trickery and informed trading partners, he said. "With a full confession," however, he and two co-defendants could face a suspended prison sentence.

Stadler and former Audi engine boss and Porsche technical director Wolfgang Hatz have so far maintained their innocence. According to the chamber's assessment, former Audi head of department Giovanni P. has so far "also not fully confessed." With the consent of the public prosecutor's office, the chamber intends to discontinue the proceedings against the fourth defendant, the senior engineer Henning L., who appeared as a key witness.

Weickert said that the criminal division came to this preliminary assessment after two and a half years of taking evidence. In doing so, it also had in mind the very long duration of the proceedings, "which is a burden for the defendants. They are now to consult with their lawyers. According to current plans, the verdict could be announced in June.

The three engine developers Hatz, P. and L. are alleged to have manipulated diesel engines for around 400,000 cars from Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche from 2008 in such a way that they passed emissions tests but emitted more nitrogen oxide on the road than permitted. The aim was to save on the subsequent installation of larger Adblue tanks for exhaust gas purification.

According to the Chamber's preliminary assessment, inadmissible defeat devices were installed at the instigation of this trio. However, it does not want to include a whole series of vehicles and markets listed in the indictment. The chamber also suggests that the charges of misleading advertising and indirect false certification should be dropped.

Stadler is also alleged, according to the indictment, to have learned of the scandal in 2015 after it was uncovered in the U.S., but to have stopped production and sales of manipulated cars in Europe only in 2018. He has argued that as CEO he was "hoodwinked" by his technicians, though "perhaps a culture of fear" in the VW group may also have contributed.

The chamber, on the other hand, referred to internal investigations by law firms at Audi and VW and findings by the Federal Motor Transport Authority. It should have followed up and taken action in July 2016 at the latest.

Stadler, Hatz and P. had spent several months in custody pending trial. The first criminal trial on the diesel scandal in Germany has been running since September 2020. Wednesday was the 161st day of the trial. Defense lawyers' fees, travel and hotel expenses, as well as court costs including expenses for expert witnesses and witnesses who have traveled to the trial are likely to add up to several hundred thousand euros for a defendant, said a lawyer on the sidelines of the trial. In addition, there would possibly be high probationary conditions./rol/DP/zb