Porsche management board member under investigation over emissions

Frankfurt

GERMAN prosecutors are investigating current and former employees of Volkswagen-owned sports carmaker Porsche, including a management board member, as part of their inquiries into emissions manipulations, they said on Wednesday.

Around 10 premises in Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg were searched by around 160 officials, the prosecutor's office in Porsche's home town of Stuttgart said in a statement.

"The three suspects include a member of the management board and a member of Porsche AG's higher management. The third suspect is no longer employed at Porsche AG," it said.

The searches form part of an investigation into employees of Porsche AG suspected of fraud and fraudulent advertising tied to manipulated emissions control systems of diesel passenger cars, the prosecutors said.

A spokesman for Porsche confirmed the searches, but declined to provide further details. REUTERS