Photo: Handelsblatt Global
Nearly five months after it suspended at his own request the head of the Group External Relations for an alleged ties with a U.S. experiments involving monkeys, Volkswagen said it would reinstate the executive to his position.
The decision has been made following what the Germans call a “comprehensive special investigation” that was done internally within the group. The investigation found that “there was no non-compliant conduct nor were any infringements of relevance to labor law committed by Volkswagen Group employees.”
On his part, Steg admits no wrong-doing himself, but does say he should have acted more determined to stop the test in the U.S. The executive did not explicitily say whether he knew about it beforehand.
“I was certain my conduct complied with labor law and regulations,” Thomas Steg said in a statement.
“Nevertheless, I have asked myself whether I could not have taken further action back in spring 2013 to prevent the test in the USA. I deeply regret I did not act differently at the time and apologize for that.”
The executive was suspended in January following revelations that the carmaker, through the European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector, commissioned an Albuquerque laboratory to conduct an emissions experiment.
As per the details uncovered by The New York Times, ten macaque monkeys were enclosed in sealed chambers, while in an adjacent room the Beetle was rigged to a treadmill. Exhaust from the pipes was sucked and pumped in the chamber where the monkeys were watching cartoons for four hours.
The entity which commissioned the study was funded by three major German manufacturers: Volkswagen, Daimler, and BMW. The group was suspended last year, and both BMW and Daimler launched their own investigations into the matter.
For the second half of 2018, Volkswagen pledged to complete the investigation into “all test, study and research projects” it “was or is directly or indirectly involved.”
On his part, Steg admits no wrong-doing himself, but does say he should have acted more determined to stop the test in the U.S. The executive did not explicitily say whether he knew about it beforehand.
“I was certain my conduct complied with labor law and regulations,” Thomas Steg said in a statement.
“Nevertheless, I have asked myself whether I could not have taken further action back in spring 2013 to prevent the test in the USA. I deeply regret I did not act differently at the time and apologize for that.”
The executive was suspended in January following revelations that the carmaker, through the European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector, commissioned an Albuquerque laboratory to conduct an emissions experiment.
As per the details uncovered by The New York Times, ten macaque monkeys were enclosed in sealed chambers, while in an adjacent room the Beetle was rigged to a treadmill. Exhaust from the pipes was sucked and pumped in the chamber where the monkeys were watching cartoons for four hours.
The entity which commissioned the study was funded by three major German manufacturers: Volkswagen, Daimler, and BMW. The group was suspended last year, and both BMW and Daimler launched their own investigations into the matter.
For the second half of 2018, Volkswagen pledged to complete the investigation into “all test, study and research projects” it “was or is directly or indirectly involved.”
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