Munich prosecutors arrested an Audi worker on suspicion of fraud and incorrect advertising with association to the automaker’s emissions scandal. This is the first arrest in Germany related to the parent company Volkswagen‘s diesel emissions scandal.
The Audi worker was arrested, at the behest of Munich prosecutors, a representative for the Munich prosecutors office stated on Friday. When asked if the arrest was at the demand of U.S. authorities, the spokeswoman stated it was not. She did not provide the name of the person.
Munich prosecutors refused to talk about whether the arrested individual is an existing or previous Audi staff member.
Audi and Volkswagen both refused to comment.
On Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department stated it charged former manager Giovanni Pamio with directing Audi workers to create software to cheat U.S. emissions tests in thousands of Audi diesel vehicles.
The Munich prosecutor’s office informed the Audi staff member was brought before to a judge on Tuesday and was currently being held in custody.
The representative refused to talk about the possibility of the arrested individual being extradited to another nation or discuss whether Munich prosecutors were in touch with U.S. officials.
The German arrest belongs to the broader investigation into fraud and incorrect advertising and is a result of “findings following searches,” the representative said.
