Volkswagen also used his faker software in France – Capital.fr

The investigations and tests conducted in France on diesel vehicles sold by Volkswagen confirmed fraud on testing of emissions, announced Monday the Secretary of State for Trade and Consumer Affairs.

the DGCCRF (Directorate General for competition, consumer Affairs and fraud Control) conducted raids in October 2015 in the premises of the French branch of the manufacturer from Wolfsburg, said Martine Pinville.

“These investigations and exchanges with society, as well as confirmation of fraud by the results of tests carried out by UTAC (Ed-certification agency), confirmed deception on vehicles marketed in France” has she told a press conference on the results of the DGCCRF activity in 2015.

“the DGCCRF gave it a few days ago at the Paris prosecutor on proces under verbal deception, “said Martine Pinville.

This paper reports the presence of a software handling of emissions tests in the engines of diesel vehicles of the German group, as has been found elsewhere in France, explained Nathalie Homobono, Director General of Competition, Consumer Affairs and fraud Control.

It also includes “elements that show the intentional nature of the fraud, which is an important element to characterize the deception,” she said.

FRAUD NOT AT RENAULT, ANALYSIS CONTINUES

In case of consumer deception and deceptive trade practice, the Consumer Code provides for individuals with maximum sentences of two years imprisonment and a 300,000 euros fine, and for legal persons 1.5 million euro fine, which may be increased to 10% of the average annual turnover calculated on the last three years.

The German manufacturer had acknowledged last September have used software to distort the test results of pollutant emissions in the United States, triggering the worst crisis in its history and forcing its president of Executive Martin Winterkorn to resign.

the engines of nearly 11 million cars worldwide were equipped with this manipulation software, nearly one million vehicles in France.

In parallel with the investigation by the DGCCRF, which articulates with the tests conducted by UTAC at the request of a committee set up by the Minister of Ecology Ségolène Royal, Paris prosecutor opened a preliminary investigation for aggravated fraud in the case of a hazardous substance for human health.

The DGCCRF also continuing the analysis of evidence collected during the searches conducted in mid-January at Renault.

The tests performed at the request of the Ministry of Ecology on vehicles the french manufacturer had shown exceedances of standards for emissions, but not fraud.

“We have no evidence yet of comparable arrangement to what was set up Volkswagen,” said Nathalie Homobono, relaying comments made by Ségolène Royal in January.

(Myriam Rivet and Gilles Guillaume; Editing by Sophie Louet)