Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has been accused of fraud and false advertising by the Munich prosecutor's office in the ongoing Volkswagen Group emissions investigation. According to Reuters, Stadler had his contract extended last year and has been named a suspect alongside another member of Audi’s board of management – who has yet to be named, publically.
In November 2015, Audi admitted to having used illegal defeat devices to manipulate its cars’ emissions; Stadler has been CEO since 2007. It is thought that 11 million VW Group cars have been fitted with these emission manipulation devices.
Stadler’s home has been raided as part of the probe that followed. Meanwhile, authorities are currently investigating 19 other suspects. The identities of these suspects have not been disclosed, as yet.
Stadler was summoned to court in Stuttgart, recently, (alongside former VW Group boss Martin Winterkorn, former Audi technical director Ulrich Hackenberg and other prominent current and former VW Group executives) to give evidence at an emissions scandal hearing.
Audi's statement for the same has yet to be released.
Uday Singh
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
Viraaj Bhatnagar
