The United States Justice Department informed the relatives of the victims of the 2018 and 2019 crashes in a meeting that it is unlikely that Boeing executives will face criminal charges for the deadly crashes that claimed 346 lives. This is because the statute of limitations has probably passed as the deadline for prosecuting most federal crimes is five years.
Prosecutors informed the victims’ relatives that although they have not discovered any proof of any felonies during that time, Boeing may still face charges for its actions throughout the three-year duration of the DPA.
On January 5, an Alaska Airlines flight, a new Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet had a panel blow off. Boeing has until June 13th to explain why it disagrees with the department’s conclusion that it broke the terms of the 2021 contract. A federal judge in Texas has until July 7th to get word from the Justice Department regarding its plans.
According to Boeing, it feels that it has honoured the terms of the agreement and is eager to reply to the Department of Justice.
What did the Justice Department say?
In May, the Justice Department discovered that Boeing had broken the terms of a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), which had protected the company from being charged with a crime related to the crashes. As long as Boeing complied with the agreement’s conditions during a three-year period ending on January 7, 2024, officials agreed to urge a judge to drop the accusation of conspiracy to mislead the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, two days prior to the agreement’s expiration, an in-flight blowout revealed persistent problems with safety and quality.
The justice department is debating whether to prosecute Boeing or to extend the DPA for an additional year. A new DPA or a non-prosecution agreement without court supervision might potentially be reached by officials. In addition, authorities might try to work out a plea agreement with Boeing regarding the 2021 fraud accusation, or they might try to prosecute the business.
During the discussion, representatives from the Justice Department expressed their belief that they cannot establish charges of fraud involving aircraft parts or federal manslaughter beyond a reasonable doubt.
(with inputs from Reuters)