The U.S. Justice Department has announced that Boeing has breached its 2021 agreement meant to shield the aerospace giant from criminal prosecution related to the tragic 737 MAX crashes of 2018 and 2019, which resulted in the loss of 346 lives.
According to a court filing in Texas, Boeing failed to \\"design, implement and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of the U.S. fraud laws throughout its operations.\\" This finding comes in the wake of a recent in-flight incident on January 5, where a Boeing 737 MAX 9 experienced a panel blowout during an Alaska Airlines flight, highlighting ongoing safety and quality concerns.
The breach of the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) exposes Boeing to the possibility of criminal charges related to the earlier crashes. This development could lead to significant financial penalties and increased oversight, exacerbating the company's existing crisis and further damaging its reputation.
The Justice Department has requested Boeing to respond by June 13 and aims to decide on prosecution by July 7. Boeing has acknowledged the determination and stated, \\"We believe that we have honored the terms of that agreement and look forward to the opportunity to respond to the Department on this issue.\\" The company emphasized its commitment to transparency throughout this process.
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U.S. says Boeing breached 2021 737 MAX criminal prosecution deal
cgtn.com
