In a fraud case involving two 737 Max aeroplanes that claimed 346 lives more than five years ago, the US Justice Department (DOJ) reached an agreement with Boeing that would spare the aircraft manufacturer from criminal punishment. The aerospace behemoth would provide the relatives of the crash victims more than $1.1 billion (€967.5 million) and an extra $445 million (€391 million) as part of the proposed agreement.
In exchange, the DOJ consented to drop a fraud investigation against Boeing, saving the aircraft manufacturer from a criminal conviction that may have threatened its government contractor status. A Justice Department official says, “We are confident that this resolution is the most just outcome with practical benefits.
Nothing will lessen the losses suffered by the victims, but this settlement holds Boeing financially responsible, gives the families closure and recompense, and affects future air passenger safety,” they continued.
Some of the victims’ relatives, however, are devastated by the decision because they think the financial penalty may give businesses an incorrect impression of their responsibility to ensure the safety of their goods.
Some family members of crash victims have been advocating for a public trial, the prosecution of previous executives, and a harsher financial penalty for Boeing. Paul Cassell, one of the case’s solicitors, stated, “This non-prosecution agreement is unprecedented and wrong for the deadliest corporate crime in US history.
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