3:52 pm, June 19, 2018
AUDI has appointed a new temporary boss following the arrest of former chief executive Rupert Stadler.
Abraham Schot has become the new chairman of the Audi board on a temporary basis after Stadler was taken into custody following an investigation into the diesel emissions scandal that has engulfed Audi and its sister Volkswagen group companies.
The announcement comes as a response to Stadler’s request that ‘the Supervisory Board release him from his position in the Board of Management of Audi AG and in the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG’.
Schot has been the member of the board of management in charge of sales and marketing since September last year.
Audi confirmed the move, saying in a statement: ‘This release applies temporarily, until the circumstances that led to his [Stadler’s] arrest have been clarified.’
Audi is one of four German manufacturers involved in the emissions cheating scandal, which was first revealed in September 2015. It was discovered that 11 million vehicles worldwide had been fitted with ‘defeat devices’ in an attempt to beat stringent emissions testing.
Last week, the Braunschweig public prosecutor issued Volkswagen AG with a fine of €1 billion over the scandal, with the German manufacturing group accepting the amount and admitting responsibility.
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