Germany: Audi CEO arrested over diesel emissions probe

Audi CEO, Rupert Stadler was arrested amidst concerns that he could influence the ongoing investigation of the emissions scandal concerning Volkswagen and Audi diesel engines.

Earlier this year, former Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkorn and five others were charged over misleading the regulators investigating the emissions from diesel cars. It was also reported that Winterkorn asked his subordinates, including Oliver Schmidt, to not disclose how the company fooled the authorities. Schmidt was fined USD 4,00,000 and sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment by a judge in the USA last December.

The arrest comes amidst Volkswagen CEO, Herbert Diess' efforts to introduce of a new leadership structure in the company. The leadership is aimed at focusing on hastening the company's move towards electric vehicles due to the emissions scandal. Rupert Stadler was a part of this group.

Stadler is the senior most official to be arrested over the diesel gate emissions scandal. The Munich prosecutor's office confirmed that Stadler’s arrest was not made on behalf of the US authorities.

In 2015, Volkswagen had admitted to cheating the authorities. The company had used devices that could detect when a vehicle was undergoing an emissions test. The former Research & Development Head at Porsche, Wolfgang Hatz was arrested in Munich for his role in the scandal in October 2017.

Source - Reuters