Audi CEO Stadler faces at least another week in jail

Suspended Audi CEO Rupert Stadler is facing at least another week in custody after agreeing to additional questioning by prosecutors over his role in the diesel emissions scandal.

His defense attorneys and investigators scheduled meetings for next week, Karin Jung, spokeswoman for Munich prosecutors said in an interview. He will remain in custody for now.

Stadler, who became a suspect in the probe at the end of May, was arrested a week ago. He was first questioned June 20, but the interviews were adjourned to allow his lawyers to assess the evidence before deciding whether to resume talks.

In his first interrogation, prosecutors had quizzed Stadler over the fraud allegations against him and their suspicions — from a wire tapped phone call — that he threatened to suspend an Audi employee who had testified in the criminal probe, two people familiar with the case have said.

The arrest of the 55-year-old marks the highest-profile detention since Volkswagen Group’s cheating scandal erupted when the automaker admitted to rigging 11 million vehicles globally to bypass emissions tests. Volkswagen has rejected claims that top executives including Stadler were aware of the criminal scheme that stretched over nearly a decade.