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Former VW Exec in Diesel Scandal Pleas for Release from Jail

Wolfgang Hatz—a Volkswagen AG executive who was jailed last year for his suspected role in the company’s diesel cheating scandal—has petitioned Germany’s highest court to release him.

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Wolfgang Hatz—the former head of powertrains for Volkswagen AG who was jailed last year for his suspected role in the company’s diesel cheating scandal—has petitioned Germany’s highest court to release him.

VW’s own investigation into the affair quickly zeroed in on Hatz and two others who oversaw powertrain development when the cheater software was developed and put into production in 2008. VW suspended all three men in 2015, shortly after VW admitted rigging 11 million diesels to evade emission laws.

Hatz was taken into custody last September, becoming the highest-ranking VW official to date to be arrested in the scandal. Hatz’s appeal to be released has been rejected by two lower courts.

Now he is appealing to the Federal Constitutional Court, which is similar to the U.S. Supreme Court. Hatz has offered to surrender his passport and post a multi-million-euro bail in exchange for his freedom.

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