Audi Boss Stadler Faces Questioning on Dieselgate Affair

Audi boss Rupert Stadler is to be questioned by U.S. law firm Jones Day, commissioned by Volkswagen Group to conduct an investigation into its diesel emissions test-manipulation scandal.

The questioning of Stadler, who has been the chairman of the board and CEO of Audi since January 2010, is said to come after earlier witnesses implicated the 53-year-old German in the so-called Dieselgate affair.

German media reports say the VW supervisory board ordered Stadler to appear before Jones Day investigators following claims he had knowledge of the software used to manipulate emissions tests for the company’s 3.0L V-6 diesel engine since shortly after being made Audi chairman six years ago.

Stadler steadfastly has denied he knew of measures used by Audi engineers to manipulate the emissions test results of the V-6 diesel, employed widely in various Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen models.

An Audi spokesman contacted by WardsAuto declines comment on developments surrounding Stadler. VW sources say the Audi executive is likely to face “a number of hours” of questioning by Jones Day.

The move to pull Stadler in for questioning follows the suspension from duties of Audi’s R&D boss Stefan Knirsch following an Audi supervisory board meeting Sept. 16 in Ingolstadt.