September 19, 2016 01:00 AM

Audi tech chief faces suspension over emissions scandal, report says

Victoria Bryan and Andreas Cremer

Audi's head of technical development will be suspended this week as part of the investigation into an emissions scandal, Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported, citing sources.

Investigations by Jones Day have shown that Stefan Knirsch, who is a board member at the Volkswagen Group subsidiary, knew about the use of cheat software in 3.0-liter diesel engines and gave a false promise under oath, the newspaper said on Sunday.

Knirsch has already been asked to clear his desk, it said.

Audi has admitted that its 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine was fitted with emissions-control software, deemed as illegal in the U.S., where the scandal has engulfed VW Group.

Spokesmen for Volkswagen Group, Audi and Audi's works council declined to comment.

Knirsch: Lasted nine months.

Knirsch, Audi's former head of engine development, succeeded Ulrich Hackenberg, the top engineer at Audi and the VW Group, on January 1.

Hackenberg quit after being suspended together with two other executives closely associated with the development of the VW Group engine at the center of the scandal, code-named EA 189.

In an interview earlier this year with Automotive News Europe, Knirsch said Audi had significantly increased its efforts to prevent future problems at the company.

"We don't have the four-eye principle, it's more like the six- or eight-eye principle," he said. "That is a very normal reaction once you've undergone something like this. And, we are extending this beyond the exhaust emissions issue by looking at every software process in r&d within the entire company. We are taking preventive measures to make sure something like this cannot happen again."

Automotive News Europe contributed to this report