Former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler’s “How I spent My Summer Vacation” story isn’t likely to make any of us jealous. The one-time top dog at the German luxury automaker has cooled his heels in a Bavarian jail ever since German authorities arrested him on suspicion of fraud back in June. Stadler’s arrest served as a shocking escalation in Germany’s investigation into Volkswagen Group’s diesel emissions scandal.
It seems like time behind bars is getting to Stadler. As the suspended executive attempts to gain his release from prison, new details have emerged over the reasons for his arrest.
According to Reuters, Stadler has stopped giving statements to prosecutors after initially being cooperative. Munich prosecutor Andrea Mayer claims Stadler’s interrogation is complete, and the prosecutor’s office says he has appealed for his release from the Augsburg prison. The Munich court hasn’t yet returned a decision.
As VW Group execs found themselves under the microscope and charges began being laid earlier this year, prosecutors tapped Stadler’s phone. The arrest came as prosecutors feared the exec was attempting to influence witnesses in the diesel affair. According to German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Stadler made no confession during interrogation, and maintains that there was no danger of collusion with witnesses. The questioning he faced, the newspaper claims, was “very tough.”
As Stadler attempts to spring himself from the slammer, another high-ranking Audi exec is reportedly also facing a barrage of questions.
Audi board members suspended Stadler a day after his mid-June arrest and named sales boss Bram Schot as an interim replacement. Should be be cleared of involvement in the diesel deception, it’s assumed Stadler would return to his post.
[Image: Audi AG]
I find it very, very hard to believe that Volkswagen Group would *want* Stadler back, regardless of how things turn out.
This is one of those moments when you take the golden parachute and enjoy an early retirement.
I don’t see the point of spending taxpayer money to jail these guys. Fine them into abject poverty – money is what really matters to them anyway. A personal $100M fine or so should do the job.
Do both. One will pay for the other.
It’s incomprehensible that top German auto executives, supposedly the smartest guys in the room, thought they could sell millions of cars with trick electronics and not get caught.
Agreed. It’s called hubris, and everybody exhibits some from time to time.
In this case, it evolved into a conspiracy.
You underestimate Germans. Two world wars, Third Roman Empire, fighting US, England and Russia (two countries with vast resources, all at same time. Germans are really convinced that they can accomplish anything.
Please change the “Germans” in your statement to “Negroes” and re-type it for us.
Hopefully that will stop this kind of thing. There’s no place for it.
Signed- A rowdy Alabama boy with a German surname that ain’t taking that isht right there and can show you why you’re afraid of a German.
“You underestimate Negroes. Two world wars, Third Roman Empire, fighting US, England and Russia (two countries with vast resources, all at same time. Negroes are really convinced that they can accomplish anything.”
Nope. Complete nonsense gibberish.
Your point?
I suspect he doesn’t have one. Typical of your rowdy Alabama boys. The smarter ones know better than to try to score points with some poorly thought out nonsense.
Well, don’t see how it is that different from American banking/finance/Wall St. execs who have repeatedly financially assaulted the nation.
S&L crisis, dotcom bubble/crash and the subprime/derivatives disaster.
Wash, rinse and repeat.
And there’s also commodities “trading” – from Enron (which totally manipulated the California energy market) to all different sorts of commodities, including oil, which have sucked untold $$ from the American public.
And Wall St//finance sector has moved on into healthcare (we’re seeing the results of that, including astronomically high prices for pharmaceuticals).
Can add to that Japanese execs who seem particularly fond of price-fixing (not that there isn’t price-fixing everywhere).
Did someone say Colonel Klink?
I’m pissed because he conspired to put millions of vehicles on the road whose emissions pose a health hazard to my children. I hope they hang him out to dry.