Audi Chief Executive Rupert Stadler Arrested Over Diesel Scandal

By any standard, Rupert Stadler, the chief executive of Volkswagen’s Audi luxury car division, is a survivor.

When evidence emerged that Audi had played a major role in developing illegal emissions software on Mr. Stadler’s watch, he and most other top executives kept their jobs. When an outside monitor faulted Volkswagen for failing to hold executives accountable, Mr. Stadler stayed in place. And when Munich prosecutors identified him last week as a suspect in their investigation and searched his home for evidence, Volkswagen said its management board had not even discussed his dismissal.

That run may well be ending, however. On Monday, German authorities arrested Mr. Stadler, 55, holding him indefinitely pending trial, an acute embarrassment for Volkswagen — and one that could finally prod the company to action. read more »