[THE INVESTOR] Prosecutors have requested the former chief of Audi Korea Trevor Hill and executives of Volkswagen headquarters in Germany to be present for questioning on their involvement in the widening probe into the German carmaker’s cheating emission scandal. 

Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on July 14 said it has sent a request to the seven executives, including Hill, through the lawyer of Audi Volkswagen Korea on July 11. 

“We don’t know if we will receive an answer (from the German headquarters), but it will take time,” an official with the prosecutors said. “(If they reject the request), we will look into other measures.”

Prosecutors suspect that Hill took part in submitting false documents and manipulating software of VW’s diesel and gasoline vehicles to secure approval from the Korean government during his tenure from 2007 to 2012.
Prosecutors have requested the six executives, who managed the Korean unit from the German headquarters, to be present for questioning as well. 

Former VW managing director Park Dong-hoon, who was resummoned by the prosecutors for questioning on July 8, managed sales under Hill during the time. 

Once Park’s involvement in the emission cheating scandal is confirmed, the prosecutors are planning on summoning Johannes Tamer, the current chief of Audi Volkswagen Korea.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)