Mitsubishi Offices in Germany Raided in Diesel Emissions Fraud Probe
 |
| You sell filthy diesel powered vehicles, you pay the price |
German authorities raided facilities connected to the German subsidiary of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. as part of a probe into allegations that the Japanese auto maker installed illegal emissions-management software on some diesel-powered vehicles sold in Germany.
The investigation into potential fraud—officially launched in mid-November but only made public by the prosecutor on Tuesday—has echoes of the emissions scandal of 2015. That year, U.S. authorities charged Volkswagen AG with using illegal software to cheat emissions tests on millions of diesel vehicles. The German auto maker later admitted to committing fraud and has paid more than $30 billion in fines, fees, and penalties.
Mitsubishi hasn’t been charged with any crime. It isn’t clear how many vehicles incorporate the alleged illegal software, but the prosecutor said vehicles believed to be affected could lose their certification and be banned from public roads.
A spokesman for Mitsubishi’s European management said the company first learned of the investigation on Tuesday when police raided the offices of two facilities: its European research and development center and its German distributor, both near Frankfurt.
“We are just learning about the whole thing now," said Daniel Narcass, spokesman for Mitsubishi Motors Europe BV. “Of course, we will cooperate fully, but we still aren’t sure what this is all about." As reported by the Wall Street Journal