The agreement that the US will propose to Boeing to avoid trial for accidents with the 737 Max that left 346 dead

The US Department of Justice plans to charge Boeing with fraud and offer him a plea deal to prevent him from going to trial.or, according to sources cited by the newspapers The New York Times and The Guardian.

Boeing has until the end of this week to decide whether to accept the agreement worked out by the Justice Department in relation to two plane crashes: one that occurred in 2018 in which 189 people flying with the airline died Lion Airand another in 2019 in which 157 people who were flying with lost their lives Ethiopian Airlines.

Both crashes caused global alarm among aviation regulators, who banned the 737 Max from flying for nearly two years.

Although the details of the plea deal offered to Boeing are not yet public, sources cited by The Guardian and The New York Times indicate that would include payment of a fine, a three-year probation period and oversight of Boeing by an outside entity.

Paul G. Cassell, an attorney representing the families of the victims, said in a statement that this type of agreement does not meet the requests of the families of the victims of these accidents.

In fact, the families have interpreted the agreement as a kind of “preferential treatment” since it would not force Boeing to admit responsibility for the deaths of the 346 people who died in the two accidents, according to the lawyer. Guardian and The New York Times.

“The families will vigorously oppose this plea deal,” Cassell promised, adding, “The memory of 346 innocent people murdered by Boeing demands more justice than this.”

The fine demanded by the families of the victims of accidents with Boeing

Relatives of victims of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft accidents in 2018 and 2019 asked the United States Department of Justice to fine the aeronautical manufacturer of about $24.8 billion and that those responsible be brought to justice.

“Given that the Boeing crime is the deadliest corporate crime in American history, a maximum fine of more than $24 billion is legally justified and clearly appropriate,” wrote representative of the victims’ families, Paul Cassell, in a letter to which AFP had access.

The relatives’ 32-page letter details the calculations made to arrive at the sum, specifying that “between $14 billion and $22 billion of the fine could be suspended provided Boeing dedicates these funds to an independent monitor and related improvements.” With safety”.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun had recognized the “seriousness” of the situation regarding his company’s production quality controls.assuring a US Senate investigative committee that they are making progress.

“I apologize for the pain we have caused, and I want you to know that we are fully mobilized, in your memory, to work and focus on safety during this time,” he said.

EFE and AFP