Bernd Osterloh: Court opens legal proceedings in opposition to former VW works council boss | EUROtoday

Ex-works council boss Bernd Osterloh now additionally has to reply for himself in court docket due to probably extreme works council remuneration at VW. The Braunschweig regional court docket has opened legal proceedings in opposition to him, a court docket spokesman confirmed on the request of the German Press Agency. The “Braunschweiger Zeitung” had beforehand reported on it

“The main proceedings have been opened by decision of the Chamber and the prosecution of the Braunschweig public prosecutor’s office has been admitted to the main hearing,” mentioned the spokesman for the regional court docket. There is subsequently one other defendant along with Osterloh. They are accused of aiding and abetting the granting of probably extreme remuneration in three instances. There aren’t any dates for the listening to but.

Osterloh himself declined to remark. “I will not comment on it,” he mentioned when requested.

The background is a legal case that was already operating till 2021 earlier than the Braunschweig regional court docket and should now be reopened. At the time, 4 VW human assets managers had been accused of getting granted extreme remuneration to a number of works council members. It was additionally concerning the fee of Osterloh, who obtained as much as 750,000 euros in bonus-heavy years.

The regional court docket acquitted the accused on the time, however the verdict was overturned by the Federal Court of Justice in 2023. The course of should now be reopened. There aren’t any dates for this but, mentioned the court docket spokesman.

Osterloh himself was solely heard as a witness within the proceedings on the time. Now the general public prosecutor’s workplace accuses him of aiding and abetting. The court docket spokesman mentioned the 68-year-old and his co-defendant will now be tried individually. “These are two separate procedures.”

Osterloh headed the highly effective VW works council from 2005 to 2021 after which moved to the truck subsidiary Traton (MAN, Scania) as human assets director. His earlier deputy, Daniela Cavallo, took over the administration of the Wolfsburg worker illustration. Osterloh retired in 2023.