Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was arrested in Munich today in connection with the diesel-cheating scandal, making him the highest-profile target in the probe that’s engulfed the carmaker and parent Volkswagen for almost three years.
Munich prosecutors investigating Audi’s role in the 2015 scandal confirmed they arrested Stadler, 55, in the Bavarian capital because of risk he may tamper with evidence, according to an emailed statement Monday.
The decision throws into doubt the manager’s future at the helm of Volkswagen’s most important earnings contributor. Pressure on Stadler has steadily built over the past few months, including a raid at his home last week.