UNDER INVESTIGATION
German prosecutors have listed Audi’s CEO as a suspect in the diesel emissions scandal,
FRANKFURT— German prosecutors said Monday that they had opened a fraud investigation against Rupert Stadler, the head of Volkswagen’s Audi division, a widening of a long-running inquiry into the company’s emissions cheating.
Stadler, whose home was raided by investigators, is the first active member of Volkswagen’s management board to be identified as a suspect in the inquiry. The scandal has already cost the company tens of billions of dollars and led to the arrest or imprisonment of several key executives.
Volkswagen has admitted that the software used to conceal ex- cess diesel emissions was first developed at Audi, which Stadler has overseen since 2007. Audi diesels were also among some 11 million vehicles equipped with the software, which ensured they spewed lower levels of emissions during laboratory testing than during normal driving conditions.
Investigators have raided Audi offices and employees’ homes several times in recent months, and they have said that former members of the management board were suspects, although until Monday they had excluded Stadler.
Prosecutors said Monday that they were also investigating another member of Audi’s top management. They did not identify the person, in line with German rules to shield people who are not considered public figures. However, people with direct knowledge of the investigation confirmed a report in the Bild newspaper that the suspect was Bernd Martens, head of purchasing for Audi.
Audi said it was co-operating fully with investigators but declined to comment further. Volkswagen also declined to comment.