The Dieselgate Hell Week continues on as Volkswagen AG executives once again were subject to raids in connection with an investigation into an alleged diesel emission test cheating at Audi, Reuters reported. Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Matthias Mueller was one of the executives whose office was raided in connection with the investigation.
Offices and homes of Volkswagen and Audi employees had been searched as German prosecutors try to find evidence that could incriminate the car maker in diesel emission test cheating. Personal calendars, notebooks and memory cards of smartphones of 47 Volkswagen employees had been searched as part of the raid.
Forbes noted that German police and prosecutors executed the raid just as Audi was holding its annual results conference. When asked about the timing, prosecutors said they did not intentionally schedule the raid to coincide with the annual results conference.
One of Volkswagen managers, Oliver Schmidt, had been handcuffed and was brought into the jail. Schmidt has to wait in the jail until a January 2018 court date. According to Forbes, police and prosecutors are making an example out of Schmidt.
In Germany, some people are criticizing the Schmidt's treatment, with some claiming that he was being used to cover up those who are really guilty. Forbes reported that the Deutsche Presse Agentur wire service that there appears to be a conspiracy within Volkswagen.
According to the report, higher ups in Volkswagen had conspired with Jones Day law firm so that only the managers will be jailed in the investigation. Six managers had already been indicted in connection with the issue.
The Star reported that about 100 German officials looked into the houses and belongings of the Volkswagen officials in connection with the Audi investigation. Mueller was included in the raid because he serves as board chairman at Audi, which is the premium car unit of Volkswagen.
Jobs & Hire previously reported that Volkswagen had decided to lay off 30,000 employees in connection with the emissions scandal.
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