Connect with us

News

Boeing to Plead Guilty to Criminal Fraud Conspiracy Over 737 Max Crashes

Published

on

Boeing to Plead Guilty to Criminal Fraud Conspiracy Over 737 Max Crashes

Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge after the US found the company violated a deal meant to reform it after two fatal crashes by its 737 Max planes that killed 346 passengers and crew.

Settlement Sparks Outrage from Victims’ Families

The Department of Justice (DoJ) said the plane-maker had also agreed to pay a criminal fine of $243.6 million (£190 million). However, the families of the people who died on the flights five years ago have criticized it as a “sweetheart deal” that would allow Boeing to avoid full responsibility for the deaths. One called it an “atrocious abomination.”

Avoiding a Criminal Trial

The settlement must now be approved by a US judge. By pleading guilty, Boeing will avoid the spectacle of a criminal trial—something that victims’ families have been pressing for. The company has been in crisis over its safety record since two near-identical crashes involving 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019. It led to the global grounding of the plane for more than a year.

Advertisement

Allegations of Deception

In 2021, prosecutors charged Boeing with one count of conspiracy to defraud regulators, alleging it had deceived the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about its MCAS flight control system, which was implicated in both crashes. It agreed not to prosecute Boeing if the company paid a penalty and successfully completed a three-year period of increased monitoring and reporting.

Renewed Scrutiny After Incident

But in January, shortly before that period was due to end, a door panel in a Boeing plane operated by Alaska Airlines blew out soon after take-off and forced the jet to land. No one was injured during the incident, but it intensified scrutiny over how much progress Boeing had made on improving its safety and quality record.

DOJ’s Findings

In May, the DoJ said it had found Boeing had violated the terms of the agreement, opening up the possibility of prosecution. Boeing’s decision to plead guilty is still a significant black mark for the firm because it means that the company—which is a prominent military contractor for the US government—now has a criminal record. It is also one of the world’s two biggest manufacturers of commercial jets.

Advertisement

Potential Impact on Contracting Business

It is not immediately clear how the criminal record will affect the firm’s contracting business. The government typically bars or suspends firms with records from participating in bids but can grant waivers.

Criticism from Legal and Safety Advocates

Paul Cassell, a lawyer representing some families of people killed on the 2018 and 2019 flights, said, “This sweetheart deal fails to recognize that because of Boeing’s conspiracy, 346 people died.” In a letter to the government in June, Mr. Cassell had urged the DoJ to fine Boeing more than $24 billion. Zipporah Kuria, who lost her father Joseph in one of the fatal crashes, said the plea was an “atrocious abomination.”

A Call for Accountability

“Miscarriage of justice is a gross understatement in describing this,” she said. “I hope that, God forbid, if this happens again, the DoJ is reminded that it had the opportunity to do something meaningful and instead chose not to.” Ed Pierson, executive director of Foundation for Aviation Safety and a former senior manager at Boeing, said the plea was “seriously disappointing” and “a terrible deal for justice.”

Advertisement

Background of the Crashes

A Boeing 737 Max plane operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air crashed in late October 2018 shortly after take-off, killing all 189 people on board. Just months later, an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed, killing all 157 passengers and crew. In the 2021 deal, Boeing also agreed to pay $2.5 billion to resolve the matter, including a $243 million criminal penalty and $500 million to a victims’ fund. The deal outraged family members, who were not consulted on the terms and have called for the company to stand trial.

Ongoing Investigations and Lawsuits

Mark Forkner, a former Boeing technical pilot who was the only person to face criminal charges arising from the incident, was acquitted by a jury in 2022. His lawyers had argued he was being used as a scapegoat. The issues with MCAS were not Boeing’s first brush with the law. It has also paid millions in penalties to the Federal Aviation Administration since 2015 to resolve a series of claims of improper manufacturing and other issues. The company also continues to face investigations and lawsuits sparked by the incident on the January Alaska Airlines flight.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Tornadoes Leave Six Dead, Including 12-Year-Old Boy, as Powerful Storms Strike Michigan and Oklahoma

Published

on

Tornadoes Leave Six Dead, Including 12-Year-Old Boy, as Powerful Storms Strike Michigan and Oklahoma

At least six people have lost their lives and more than a dozen others have been injured after destructive tornadoes tore through parts of the United States, striking the states of Michigan and Oklahoma during a wave of severe storms.

Officials confirmed that four people died in southern Michigan, including a 12-year-old boy, while two others were killed in Oklahoma on Friday. Emergency crews are continuing rescue and recovery operations as authorities assess the full extent of the destruction left behind by the powerful storms.

The violent weather uprooted trees, knocked down power lines, damaged buildings and tore roofs from homes across affected communities.

Advertisement

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that the dangerous weather system may persist into the weekend. Forecasters said thunderstorms and possible flash flooding could affect areas stretching from the Great Plains down to Texas.

In Michigan, the Branch County Sheriff’s Department reported that three people were killed and 12 others were injured near Union City after a tornado swept through the area on Friday. Authorities also warned residents to expect road closures and power outages through the weekend as recovery efforts continue.

Roughly 50 miles (80 km) away in Cass County, officials confirmed another fatality and several injuries following storm damage.

Advertisement

Authorities said the tornado caused extensive destruction across the county.

“Multiple large structures — including homes and pole barns — sustained damage ranging from major structural impacts to complete destruction,” officials said in a statement.

Hundreds of residents were also left without electricity after the storm passed through the area.

Advertisement

Cass County Sheriff Clint Roach announced on Saturday that a 12-year-old boy, Silas Anderson, died from weather-related injuries in Edwardsburg.

“Silas was surrounded by family at the time of his passing,” the sheriff’s office said in a message shared on social media.

Emergency management teams said search and recovery efforts are ongoing as responders continue combing through damaged neighborhoods.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, emergency officials reported that a tornado carved a path of destruction roughly four miles (6.4 km) long through Okmulgee County, located about 30 miles (48 km) south of Tulsa.

County emergency manager Jeff Moore said crews are working urgently to clear debris and restore access to affected areas.

“We’re just getting everywhere as fast as we can, clearing roads as fast we can,” Moore said.

Advertisement

Authorities confirmed that two people were killed in Beggs, according to the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office.

In response to the devastation, Kevin Stitt, governor of Oklahoma, declared a state of emergency for several counties, including Alfalfa, Creek, Grant, Major, Okmulgee, Rogers, Tulsa and Wagoner.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Explosion at U.S. Embassy in Oslo May Have Been Terrorism, Norwegian Police Say

Published

on

Explosion at U.S. Embassy in Oslo May Have Been Terrorism, Norwegian Police Say

An overnight explosion at the United States embassy in Oslo may have been an act of terrorism, according to police in Norway.

The blast occurred in the early hours of Sunday at the embassy of the United States, causing minor damage to the building but leaving no injuries reported.

Frode Larsen, head of the police joint investigation and intelligence unit, said authorities were considering terrorism as one possible explanation.

Advertisement

“One of the hypotheses is that it is an act of terrorism, but we are not completely locked into it,” Larsen told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

He later added that investigators must remain open to other possible causes behind the explosion.

Police said “large resources” were dispatched to the area around the embassy at about 01:00 local time (00:00 GMT). Officers are now investigating the incident while maintaining close contact with U.S. diplomats.

Advertisement

Michael Dellemyr, who is leading the police response, said the explosion occurred near the public entrance to the embassy building, located in the Morgedalsvegen district about 7km (4 miles) outside Oslo’s city centre.

Authorities have searched the surrounding area and issued an appeal for information from anyone who may have seen or heard anything connected to the blast.

Images circulating on social media appear to show shattered glass in the snow outside the entrance to the consular section of the building, cracks in a glass door and dark marks on the tiled floor.

Advertisement

Norwegian officials condemned the incident, describing it as unacceptable.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the protection of diplomatic missions remains a priority for Norway, stressing that “the security of diplomatic missions is very important to us.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Lebanon Says Nearly 400 Killed in Israeli Strikes as U.S. Warns Iranians to Stay Indoors

Published

on

Lebanon Says Nearly 400 Killed in Israeli Strikes as U.S. Warns Iranians to Stay Indoors

Lebanon’s health authorities say the death toll from Israeli strikes has risen sharply to 394 people as the regional conflict involving Israel, Iran and their allies intensifies.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said the dead include 83 children and 42 women. Nine rescue workers have also been killed since Lebanon became involved in the ongoing confrontation linked to the U.S.–Israeli campaign against Iran.

The updated figure marks a significant increase from Saturday, when the health ministry reported 294 deaths.

Advertisement

Iran has also reported heavy casualties. The country’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said on Friday that 1,332 civilians have been killed in Iran since the start of U.S. and Israeli strikes.

In Israel, emergency service Magen David Adom said 10 people have died since Israel launched its military campaign against Iran. Israel’s health ministry added that 1,929 people have been injured and evacuated to hospitals since 28 February, although some of the wounded have been unable to receive treatment due to continued missile attacks.

The conflict has also spread to other parts of the region. The United States Department of Defense confirmed that six U.S. soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike on an American military base in Kuwait last Sunday.

Advertisement

Elsewhere in the Gulf, the UAE Ministry of Defence reported four deaths linked to the escalating hostilities.

Authorities in Kuwait said two military personnel and two border guards were killed, while the country’s health ministry reported that a young girl died after being struck by falling shrapnel.

In Bahrain, the Bahrain Ministry of Interior said a worker was killed last week after being hit by falling debris during the attacks.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending