After two fatal crashes of its 737-Max model, Boeing could now face criminal charges for the tragedies five years later: The U.S. Department of Justice said the plane manufacturer breached obligations under an agreement that shielded Boeing from criminal prosecution over the crashes. A total of 346 people were killed in the crashes in late 2018 and early 2019.
Boeing failed “to develop, implement and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of U.S. fraud laws throughout the company,” the department said in its complaint.
An incident earlier this year got the matter rolling
The troublesome incident on January 5, in which part of the cabin wall of an almost new Boeing aircraft was torn away shortly after takeoff, got the matter rolling. Missing bolts almost caused a catastrophe. The government will now investigate whether criminal action can be taken against the company.
The company is expected to explain the nature and circumstances of the violation and the measures taken to remedy the situation by June 13. Boeing made clear that it believes it has met all terms of the agreement.
The accident happened shortly before the deadline
After the deadly crashes five years ago, Boeing agreed to a deal with prosecutors in 2021 to compensate the victims’ families and overhaul its compliance practices. In return, prosecutors agreed to ask a judge to drop charges against Boeing as long as the agreement was complied with for three years. The plane crash early this year took place two days before this deadline.
Source: Krone
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