Accused of Fabricating Exhaust Gas Test Reports
The Korean court imposed 14.5 billion won in fine on BMW Korea for manipulating emissions gas test reports.
Judge Kim Hyun-deok of the Seoul Central District Court found BMW Korea guilty of violating the Customs Act, and slapped a fine of 14.5 billion won on the company on Jan. 10. Three former employees of the company were sentenced to eight to 10 months in jail and were remanded in custody, while another three were sentenced to prison terms with a stay of execution.
"The accused had received exhaust gas certificates based on doctored test reports over a long period of time," the judge said. “This not only went against the administration's work to improve air quality but betrayed consumers."
BMW Korea was indicted for having imported 29,000 vehicles by receiving environmental certificates from the National Institute of Environmental Research with manipulated emissions test reports since 2011.