Israel filed a $152 million lawsuit in a Tel Aviv court against the German automaker Volkswagen; its subsidiary Audi; and its local distributor, Champion Motors, for allegedly committing fraud and negligence.
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According to the Israeli business website CTECH, the lawsuit accuses the above companies of intentionally misleading regulators about "a fraudulent software meant to falsify diesel engine emissions readings" to persuade Israel that the cars met the country's environmental standards.
The state prosecution asserted that the vehicles would not have been allowed into the country if the real data had been provided.
The scandal surrounding the software was revealed in 2015.
Investigations and legal action have been taken in a number of countries, including the United States, Germany, Spain, and Australia.
Champion Motors says that Israel imported 12,000 such cars between 2008 and 2016, but has denied commenting on the lawsuit.
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Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
