Porsche powertrain development chief arrested for diesel cheating
Jeorg Kerner was one of three employees targeted by German authorities for involvement in the Dieselgate scandal.
Not everything is well in Stuttgart, it seems. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reports that Jeorg Kerner, Porsche's head of powertrain development, has been arrested as a flight risk in conjunction with the Dieselgate scandal, according to a memo from Porsche chief, Oliver Blume.
Kerner was one of three current and former employees targeted by German officials as part of an investigation into Porsche and Audi , which stems from the use of the Audi-designed 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 as fitted to the Q7 and Porsche Cayenne.
The Audi-developed 3.0-liter turbodiesel was used in the both the Cayenne and Panamera.
He came to the VAG group from Robert Bosch GmbH in 2004 and worked for Audi for several years as the architect and head of Audi's engine and transmission electronics design, software and functional development division.
"We confirm that investigators today inspected and secured documents at the offices of Porsche AG in Stuttgart and Audi AG in Ingolstadt," said a Porsche spokesperson, in a statement. "Audi AG and Porsche AG are cooperating fully with the investigating authorities. Please appreciate that we can't comment on further details due to the ongoing investigation."
While Porsche's role in the diesel cheating scandal that brought the Volkswagen brand under such intense scrutiny, there are allegedly several high-ranking officials being investigated, including a member of the managing board.
Update 4/20 2:55 P.M.: Updated with statement from Porsche