TEHRAN (Tasnim) – South Korea said Monday it will fine BMW 11.2 billion won ($9.9 million) and file a criminal complaint against the company with state prosecutors over an allegedly botched response to dozens of engine fires reported in the country.

South Korea’s Transport Ministry said its investigation panel after a five-month review concluded that the German automaker deliberately tried to cover up technical problems and moved too slowly to recall vehicles after around 40 of its cars caught fire earlier this year. The ministry found the fires to be caused by faulty valves in the vehicles’ exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers.

BMW apologized and recalled some 172,000 vehicles of 65 different models in July and October over the fires, AP reported.

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