Audi engineer claims top managers knew about Dieselgate
A former Audi engineer has told German investigators that senior Audi management was aware of emissions cheating as early as 2006, deepening scrutiny of the VW Group scandal.
A former Audi engineer has informed German authorities that senior management at Audi was aware of diesel emissions cheating as early as 2006, according to statements provided by the engineer’s attorney. The claims come amid ongoing investigations into the Volkswagen Group’s Dieselgate scandal, which broke publicly in 2015.
Zacchero Giovanni Pamio, formerly of Audi’s engine development unit, has reportedly told investigators that key managers at Audi were aware the company’s diesel engines could not meet US or European emissions standards without cheating. The statements, submitted through Pamio’s attorney, suggest the knowledge of emissions manipulation extended higher up the corporate hierarchy than previously admitted by the company.
Implications for VW Group leadership
Pamio’s testimony intensifies scrutiny on Audi and the wider Volkswagen Group. Since the US Environmental Protection Agency revealed in 2015 that Volkswagen had installed defeat devices to cheat emissions tests, investigators in both Germany and the United States have sought to determine how far up the chain of command the knowledge and approval of such practices went.
To date, several former engineers and managers have faced prosecution. In the US, former VW engineer James Liang received a 40-month prison sentence and a $200,000 fine. Pamio, an Italian citizen residing in Germany, has been detained by German authorities at the request of US officials and could face extradition to the United States for prosecution. German investigators are reportedly examining the actions of around 40 individuals connected to the scandal.
What the new claims could mean
If Pamio’s claims are substantiated, they would indicate that Audi’s upper management was aware of the emissions cheating nearly a decade before the scandal became public. This would challenge previous statements from the company about the extent and timing of management knowledge. The investigation remains active, with authorities continuing to examine evidence and pursue potential charges against individuals at various levels within Audi and the Volkswagen Group.
