He's been Audi CEO since 2007. What did he know?
Although Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler has been in the news more recently due to its own controversy surrounding alleged illegal diesel software, the Volkswagen Group still can’t shake off Dieselgate completely. According to Reuters, current Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has been named as a suspect in a German probe regarding fraud and false advertising. Just this past Monday, German prosecutors searched Stadler’s home for potential evidence. Those prosecutors are also investigating 20 additional suspects.
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“Since May 30, 2018 the chairman of the board of Audi AG Prof. Rupert Stadler
as well as a further member of the management board are now named suspects,” the
Munich prosecutor’s office said. Stadler, along with one other suspect whose
home was also searched, are specifically being investigated for their alleged
roles in bringing cars to the European market equipped with illegal defeat
software. Stadler has been Audi CEO since 2007. The discovery of the defeat
devices was exposed in September 2015 and Audi admitted to using that software
only two months later, so it makes sense Stadler is being suspected of
involvement to some degree.
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Despite this, Audi’s supervisory board recommended to shareholders last March
to whole heartedly endorse Stadler as CEO – just as German prosecutors had begun
to raid Audi’s headquarters in search of evidence of a cover-up. Obviously
Stadler is innocent until proven guilty, but considering the length of time he’s
served as Audi CEO and the fact the brand’s popular 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine
has since been deemed illegal in the US, definitely raises suspicion against
him. The simple question is what did he know and, if anything, for how long?
It’ll be very interesting to see whether those prosecutors uncover anything
dirty, aside from diesel fumes.
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Although Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler has been in the news more recently due to its own controversy surrounding alleged illegal diesel software, the Volkswagen Group still can’t shake off Dieselgate completely. According to Reuters, current Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has been named as a suspect in a German probe regarding fraud and false advertising. Just this past Monday, German prosecutors searched Stadler’s home for potential evidence. Those prosecutors are also investigating 20 additional suspects.
“Since May 30, 2018 the chairman of the board of Audi AG Prof. Rupert Stadler
as well as a further member of the management board are now named suspects,” the
Munich prosecutor’s office said. Stadler, along with one other suspect whose
home was also searched, are specifically being investigated for their alleged
roles in bringing cars to the European market equipped with illegal defeat
software. Stadler has been Audi CEO since 2007. The discovery of the defeat
devices was exposed in September 2015 and Audi admitted to using that software
only two months later, so it makes sense Stadler is being suspected of
involvement to some degree.
Despite this, Audi’s supervisory board recommended to shareholders last March
to whole heartedly endorse Stadler as CEO – just as German prosecutors had begun
to raid Audi’s headquarters in search of evidence of a cover-up. Obviously
Stadler is innocent until proven guilty, but considering the length of time he’s
served as Audi CEO and the fact the brand’s popular 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine
has since been deemed illegal in the US, definitely raises suspicion against
him. The simple question is what did he know and, if anything, for how long?
It’ll be very interesting to see whether those prosecutors uncover anything
dirty, aside from diesel fumes.
