Families want to see Boeing in court – Diepresse.com
The aircraft manufacturer Boeing is under pressure again: Family members of the 346 fatalities of two crashes in 2018 and 2019 require a process. You see a possible deal as a slap in the face.
Family members of people who died in two fatal crashes of 737-Max jets from the Boeing, the US Ministry of Justice call on to reject a possible deal that enables the aircraft manufacturer to avoid a criminal complaint.
Members of the crash victims have long argued that Boeing and its managers should be prosecuted for an incorrect construction that contributed to two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 and killed 346 people. The only Boeing official who had to answer in court was a manager at the middle level who was responsible for the pilot manuals and training documents. He was acquitted.
Deal would be a « judiciary »
In a letter sent to the Ministry and viewed by Bloomberg on Thursday, a lawyer of the families described the proposed agreement on the waiver of law enforcement, which the government discussed with Boeing, as a « remarkably bad and unprecedented solution » of the lengthy legal dispute and said that it would be a « legal error ». A criminal trial is scheduled to begin in Texas on June 23.
« Instead of getting involved in further discussions about a pre -judicial solution, the ministry should simply bring the case to trial, » said Paul Cassell, a lawyer of the victims, in the letter. He also asked for a meeting with the US general Prosecutor Pam Bondi.
The Ministry of Justice met with the families on Friday to inform them about the options that are considered in the case. In a court file on Saturday, the government also weighs in addition to the « framework » for an agreement on non -tracking whether it wants to accuse the aircraft maker for criminal conspiracy or negotiate a comparison before the process.
US district judge must approve the agreement
Each agreement would have to be approved by US district judge Reed O’Connor in Texas, which is the chair in the case. Cassell said that the family members would formally object to the non -follow -up agreement in court, the letter said.
In 2021, Boeing agreed with the Ministry of Justice for a delay in criminal persecution in connection with the accusation of having deceived the supervisory authorities via a system that is connected to the crashes. This agreement and the admission of guilt of Boeing were about to expire when an almost disaster triggered new investigations over sloppy manufacturing practices during a Max aircraft.
Last May, the government said that the company had violated the agreement and recommended a criminal complaint because Boeing had not complied with its promises. Boeing then agreed to commit the criminal conspiracy, to pay a fine and to establish an independent surveillance site, which has now been rejected. The company would also have obliged the agreement to issue at least $ 455 million to improve its compliance and security programs.
O’Connor, however, rejected the deal because, in his opinion, he reduced the role of the court when ensuring compliance with the regulations. He also criticized the wording that the selection of the independent observer must be made in accordance with the commitment of the Ministry for Diversity and Integration « .
Since then, Boeing and the US public prosecutor have declared that they are working towards a new comparison. As part of these negotiations, the aircraft manufacturer tried to withdraw his confession in March, like that Wall Street Journal then reported. A day later, O’Connor set a negotiation date for June 23 without giving reasons. (Bloomberg)
