iStock/Thinkstock(MUNICH, Germany) — Authorities have made the first arrest in Germany in connection with the Volkswagen emissions-test cheating scandal, according to the BBC.
Munich prosecutors say an Audi manager was arrested on suspicion of fraud and false advertising, but it’s unclear whether the person is a current or former Audi employee.
However, German media have reported that the person is the same man who was charged separately by U.S. authorities, Giovanni Pamio, on Thursday, according to the BBC.
Pamio is charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., wire fraud and violation of the Clean Air Act, according to a statement by the Department of Justice.
The 60-year-old is accused of leading a team of engineers that designed and implemented software to cheat standard U.S. emissions tests. The Department of Justice said Pamio and some of his colleagues deliberately failed to disclose the software functions.
Audi’s parent company, Volkswagen Group, previously pleaded guilty to three felony counts connected to cheating U.S. emissions standards. The company was ordered to pay a $2.8 billion fine at its sentencing in April.
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