Audi CEO in hot water over new emissions probe

Audi's current CEO, Rupert Stadler, has found himself at the centre of a new investigation into emissions cheating after German investigators accused him of fraud and false advertising.

According to reports, Stadler's apartment was raided over the weekend as the Munich public prosecutor searched for new evidence.

Naming the Audi CEO as one of 20 suspects that were being investigated over new allegations, government officials have also announced Audi head of purchasing, Bernd Martens, as the second high-profile suspect.

Martens, like Stadler, is also a current Audi board member and is said to be a person of interest in the new investigation as he led a diesel taskforce established to coordinate the handling of the Dieselgate crisis.

It's been reported the decision of public prosecutor to name Stadler in the investigation could trigger a leadership crisis at Audi.

The new probe comes only a month after Audi's HQ was raided for the third time as part of the emissions crisis.

Two former managers, including Giovanni Pamio, are already on remand ahead of their trials.

German prosecutors said Audi is fully cooperating with prosecutors. It's thought the latest investigation could concern the car-maker's 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel that, back in 2015, was found to include a defeat device to cheat emissions tests.

Last month Audi itself admitted it had discovered emission issues with a further 60,000 cars more than two and a half years after the Volkswagen Dieselgate crisis broke.

Only last March, the car-maker's supervisory board endorsed Stadler as CEO of Audi, which remains the largest contributor to Volkswagen's recent record profits.