As part of the fight against corruption and other white-collar crime, the Volkswagen Group has set up a whistleblower system with the appointment of an external lawyer as ombudsman (lawyer of confidence). Attorney-at-law Dr. Rainer Buchert is available as a contact person to all persons who wish to provide confidential information on suspicion of such a criminal act or similar serious irregularities relating to the Volkswagen Group or one of the Group's brands. He is represented by attorney Dr. Caroline Jacob from the same law firm.
Information under the Whistleblower Protection Act (suspicion of criminal acts) and information about other relevant misconduct by employees is passed on to the Volkswagen Group after initial examination by the ombudsmen. The same applies to complaints about human rights violations. In cases of doubt, whistleblowers can also contact the ombudsmen for advice. However, the ombudsmen are not a body for general complaints or grievances.
Due to the lawyer's duty of confidentiality and the lawyer's right to refuse to testify, it is ensured that the identity of whistleblowers is reliably protected and not disclosed to Volkwagen.
