VW: Some Employees Cooperated With Brazil's Military Dictatorship

Volkswagen says a study has revealed that security guards at its operation in Brazil cooperated with the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship.

The study that was commissioned by the German automaker last year did not find any evidence, however, that the cooperation was "institutionalized," according to Christopher Kopper, a history professor at Germany's Bielefeld University, who conducted the study.

Kopper said in the study "there was cooperation between individuals of site security at Volkswagen with Brazil and the former military regime. But there is also no clear evidence found that the cooperation was institutionalized by the company."

The study found that "Works Security monitored opposition activities by the company's employees, and by its conduct aided the arrest of at least seven members of staff."