Why was the former Audi CEO charged with Fraud in Germany?

[Lawrence McOchillo]

[Lillian McKenna]

German authorities today charged Rupert Stadler, the former CEO of Volkswagen’s Audi division with fraud along with three other anonymous accomplices who knew that thousands of cars manufactured by Audi, VW and Porsche were equipped with rigged software. Stadler reiterated his innocence claiming that he did not know that the software in the affected vehicles had been altered to display misleading emissions results on tests. He was also charged with criminal advertising practices and the false certification of vehicles. The charges are part of the wider “Dieselgate scandal” that was uncovered in September 2015 after it was discovered that Volkswagen had fitted “cheat devices” on 600,000 cars sold in the United States as well as millions of vehicles sold worldwide to lower their emissions ratings. This is the second time that Stadler has been arrested following his initial arrest in June 2018 before his release on bail on October 2018. The Munich state court now has to decide whether there is enough evidence to initiate an official trial based on the charges.