Wolfsburg, 2006-01-30
Volkswagen is Creating New Structures to Prevent Corruption
Volkswagen AG has started an ombudsman system which extends throughout the company and has an international structure.
At the launch of the system, Dr. Bernd Pischetsrieder, Chairman of the Board of Volkswagen AG, emphasised in a letter to employees: “The Volkswagen Group has taken up the cause of an open and transparent company culture. In the Ombudsman System we have taken a further important step.” Two lawyers will accept information about situations involving corruption in strict confidence as ombudsmen and will pass them on to the company. A group of investigators from the audit, legal and security departments will examine each individual case and take steps immediately if necessary.
Volkswagen AG has gained two lawyers with excellent reputations as the ombudsmen. Both ombudsmen work independently and on a basis which is operationally independent of the company. The two Frankfurt lawyers can be reached via a national telephone number. In addition, the ombudsmen have set up a telephone number which can be used from abroad, which is aimed primarily at employees and business partners of Volkswagen outside Germany. The contact details for the ombudsmen are stated there in several languages. Whether the person giving the information makes contact by phone, fax or e-mail: Volkswagen has no access to these communications routes. At the same time the ombudsmen preserve absolute secrecy in respect of the person giving the information on the basis of their lawyer’s duty of confidentiality, which is protected by law. This also applies if the matter should result in a criminal prosecution. If the individual case goes beyond a telephone conversation, person to person meetings normally follow. It is entirely a matter for the person giving the information what information the ombudsmen pass on to the company and whether anonymity is to be preserved.
At Volkswagen, a competent group of investigators will follow up every piece of information received. The chairman of the group of investigators and the person in charge of anti-corruption measures at Volkswagen is the head of the Group Auditing Department, Dr. Peter Dörfler, who reports to Dr. Pischetsrieder. The company will keep the ombudsmen up to date with feedback. In turn, the ombudsmen will contact the people giving the information and may ask them additional questions which have arisen from the investigations. Dörfler: “This exchange of information whilst consistently preserving confidentiality is an important advantage to us in comparison with an anonymous letter giving information.”
At the end of 2005 Dr. Pischetsrieder announced the launch of an ombudsman system as a significant consequence of the corruption affair. In the letter, issued to all the Group’s employees worldwide, he states: “Corruption is not a petty offence! If corruption and fraud take place, the self-interest of a few damages many innocent people. Therefore every case of corruption must be exposed consistently and wholeheartedly.”
Volkswagen AG has gained two lawyers with excellent reputations as the ombudsmen. Both ombudsmen work independently and on a basis which is operationally independent of the company. The two Frankfurt lawyers can be reached via a national telephone number. In addition, the ombudsmen have set up a telephone number which can be used from abroad, which is aimed primarily at employees and business partners of Volkswagen outside Germany. The contact details for the ombudsmen are stated there in several languages. Whether the person giving the information makes contact by phone, fax or e-mail: Volkswagen has no access to these communications routes. At the same time the ombudsmen preserve absolute secrecy in respect of the person giving the information on the basis of their lawyer’s duty of confidentiality, which is protected by law. This also applies if the matter should result in a criminal prosecution. If the individual case goes beyond a telephone conversation, person to person meetings normally follow. It is entirely a matter for the person giving the information what information the ombudsmen pass on to the company and whether anonymity is to be preserved.
At Volkswagen, a competent group of investigators will follow up every piece of information received. The chairman of the group of investigators and the person in charge of anti-corruption measures at Volkswagen is the head of the Group Auditing Department, Dr. Peter Dörfler, who reports to Dr. Pischetsrieder. The company will keep the ombudsmen up to date with feedback. In turn, the ombudsmen will contact the people giving the information and may ask them additional questions which have arisen from the investigations. Dörfler: “This exchange of information whilst consistently preserving confidentiality is an important advantage to us in comparison with an anonymous letter giving information.”
At the end of 2005 Dr. Pischetsrieder announced the launch of an ombudsman system as a significant consequence of the corruption affair. In the letter, issued to all the Group’s employees worldwide, he states: “Corruption is not a petty offence! If corruption and fraud take place, the self-interest of a few damages many innocent people. Therefore every case of corruption must be exposed consistently and wholeheartedly.”