Audi chief Rupert Stadler arrested in diesel emissions probe
The chief executive of German carmaker Audi, Rupert Stadler, has been arrested in connection with an investigation into the diesel emissions scandal.
A spokesman for Volkswagen, which owns Audi, confirmed he was being held.
Munich prosecutors said they had acted because of a risk that Mr Stadler might seek to suppress evidence.
The scandal erupted three years ago, when it emerged that cars had been fitted with devices designed to cheat emissions tests.
The devices were initially found in VW's cars, but its Audi subsidiary has also been embroiled in the scandal.
Last month, it admitted that another 60,000 A6 and A7 models with diesel engines have emission software issues.
That is on top of the 850,000 recalled last year by Audi, of which only some have been found to require modification.
- Audi admits more diesel emission problems
- How VW tried to cover up the emissions scandal
- Ex-VW boss charged over diesel scandal
Munich prosecutors said Mr Stadler would be questioned by Wednesday, once he had spoken to his lawyers.
The so-called dieselgate emissions scandal first came to light in September 2015.
Volkswagen admitted that nearly 600,000 cars sold in the US were fitted with "defeat devices" designed to circumvent emissions tests.
The carmaker said it had installed software in 11 million diesel cars worldwide that could tell when they were being tested and cut their emissions.
On the open road, untested, the level of emissions would in practice be far higher - up to 40 times as bad as recorded under laboratory conditions.
Courtesy: BBC NEWS
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Complainants hail HC order dismissing CM's petition challenging Guv's order
Bengaluru (PTI): The complainants, who were granted sanction by the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot after they sought an order for probe from the special court against the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a site allotment case, on Tuesday hailed the High Court's verdict dismissing his petition challenging the approval.
The Chief Minister had challenged the approval given by Gehlot for an investigation against him in the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in a prime locality.
The Governor on August 16 accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions submitted to him by the three complainants -- Abraham T J, Snehamayi Krishna and Pradeep Kumar S P.
“We had petitioned in the High Court seeking the dismissal of Siddaramaiah's plea. Whatever objections we had filed, the order has come accordingly, which is a matter of pleasure for us,” Abraham told reporters soon after a single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition.
When told that the Chief Minister may challenge the order in the division bench, Abraham said: “Let him challenge in the division bench. He will use his legal rights. Since he is moving the (High Court's) division bench, we are filing a caveat there.”
Krishna said: “We had brought to the notice of the High Court that Siddaramaiah’s role is there in the irregularities. Accordingly, the Honourable Court gave its order.”
Krishna claimed that there was "unshakable" documentary evidence available against the Chief Minister. “He will lose whichever court he goes to."
After completing the hearings on the petition in six sittings from August 19, Justice Nagaprasanna on September 12 reserved the verdict.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved the High Court challenging the legality of the Governor's order.
