About a month ago, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was arrested as a result of the ongoing investigation into Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal, as prosecutors feared that he might try to suppress evidence if not taken into custody.
While they acknowledged the arrest, both Audi and VW stated that Stadler, the most senior executive from the VW Group to be arrested with regards to the previously-mentioned scandal, should still be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Now, the suspended CEO has appealed to a court with hopes to be released from custody after having spent the past month in jail, reports Automotive News. A Munich court will need to review his appeal and decide whether or not he should be freed from his current whereabouts, specifically a prison in Augsburg.
According to the prosecutor’s office, while Stadler initially cooperated with authorities, he has now stopped giving statements. Prosecutors are now probing both Stadler as well as another member of Audi’s top management, for suspected fraud and false advertising regarding pollution levels in its cars and manipulated vehicle tests.
Until this matter is resolved, sales exec Abraham Schot will remain Stadler’s interim replacement. Before arriving at the VW Group, Schot was in charge of Daimler’s sales and marketing department, first in the Netherlands, followed by Italy. If Stadler will not be reinstated, Schot will probably continue calling the shots.