by EuroNews and AP
It’s published
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has signed a contract with Boeing that allows planar makers to avoid criminal prosecution in a fraud case related to two crash crashes of the 737 largest jet liners that killed 346 people more than five years ago.
Under the interim deal, the aerospace giant will exceed $1.1 billion (967.5 million euros) and will pay $445 million (391 million euros) to the families of crash victims.
In return, DOJ agreed to dismiss the fraud case against Boeing, allowing plane makers to avoid criminal convictions that could endanger their status as federal contractors.
“We believe this resolution is the most legitimate outcome with practical benefits,” a spokesman for the Department of Justice said in a statement.
“There is nothing to reduce the losses of victims, but this resolution will hold Boeing economically accountable, provide finality and compensation to families, and impact the safety of future air travel,” they added.
However, the verdict comes as a blow to some families of victims who believe that financial fines can send false signals to businesses about product safety accountability.
Some relatives of passengers who crashed are seeking public trials, prosecution of former company officials, and more serious financial punishment for Boeing.
“This type of non-dose contract is unprecedented and is clearly wrong for the most deadly corporate crime in US history,” said Paul Cassell, the lawyer in the case, adding that his repentant family would oppose and persuade the court to refuse trial.
Two new 737 largest jets crashed in Indonesia in 2018, and in Ethiopia in 2019, causing 346 people to force the plane into an uncontrollable nosey due to false sensor readings.
Boeing was accused of misleading the Federal Aviation Administration of its biggest aspect before the agency certified the plane.
PlaneMaker did not tell airlines and pilots about a new software system called MCAS that allows the plane’s nose to point down without input from the pilot if the sensor detects that the sensor could enter an aerodynamic stall.
DOJ had already charged Boeing for deceiving FAA regulators about software in 2021, and deceiving the training pilots needed to fly planes safely. At the time, the aerospace giant agreed to pay a $2.5 billion (2.2 billion euro) settlement and was tossed out of the hook and took steps to comply with the anti-disability law for three years.
After federal prosecutors discovered that Boeing failed to comply with the agreement and failed to make changes to its promises, the plane’s manufacturer agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud charges in order to avoid potentially long public trials.
However, in December, a federal judge rejected a plea deal citing concerns about diversity, inclusion and equity requirements when selecting monitors to oversee Boeing’s compliance.
