Officially, Rupert Stadler has been placed under investigation by German authorities
German police have named Rupert Stadler, Audi CEO, as being under investigation for fraud and false advertisement. According to the latest reports, police searched his apartment.
The city’s public prosecutor has expanded the investigation into emissions in Volkswagen Group to include 20 suspects.
“Since May 30, 2018, the chairman of Audi AG Rupert Stadler and a further member to the management board have been named suspects,” said the Munich prosecutor in a statement.
The bad days of the German executive were capped by the revelation that the judge in a lawsuit against Volkswagen was presiding over Stadler and Martin Winterkorn, former CEO of Volkswagen, to testify.
Stadler was previously an assistant to Ferdinand Piech (ex-Volkswagen Chairman) before he became the CEO of Audi in 2007.
His connections within the company have provided him with protection from the worst of Dieselgate, but it is possible that the latest developments could make his position untenable. In March 2018, Herbert Diess, the new Volkswagen Group CEO, appointed him head of sales.
Audi’s involvement in the emissions scandal was revealed in November 2015, just months after Volkswagen’s wrongdoing was exposed. Audi built the VW Group’s 3-litre diesel engine V6. It was one of the engines with defeat devices. It’s been used in every Audi A4 and Volkswagen Touareg, as well as the Porsche Cayenne.