Boeing, the aeronautical colossus of Chicago, will pay more than $ 2.5 billion to settle the investigation of the US Department of Justice into the two 737 MAX accidents that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. The group will not, however, have not to plead guilty in criminal proceedings. The amount announced by the ministry includes a criminal sanction of $ 244 million, as well as $ 1.77 billion in compensation and the creation of a fund of $ 500 million for relatives of the victims. The two air disasters involving the aircraft had resulted in its immobilization for 20 months. The US Department of Justice believes the group conspired and committed fraud. “The tragic accidents of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 have exposed fraudulent and deceptive conduct by employees of one of the world’s leading commercial aircraft manufacturers,” Deputy Attorney General David P said. Burns, quoted by Reuters.
The deputy prosecutor believes that Boeing employees “have chosen the path of profit over franchise by withholding important information from the FAA (US Civil Aviation Authority) regarding the operation of its 737 MAX aircraft and by engaging in an effort to cover up their deception “. Boeing, for its part, admits in court documents that two 737 MAX test pilots deceived the FAA about the MCAS safety system. Lawyers for the families of victims of the Ethiopian Airlines flight intend to continue their civil proceedings against Boeing in Chicago, while the group has also settled most of the disputes over the Lion Air flight.
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