French police carried out searches at a number of Volkswagen's offices in France Friday as the investigation in the automaker's massive emissions scandal goes underway. The company has previously admitted to installing illegal software that enables its vehicles to cheat emissions tests, according to The New York Times.
Two Volkswagen offices were searched by the police, including the company's main French office in Villers-Cotterêts, located 52 miles northeast of Paris, and another office at Roissy, near the main Paris airport.
During the search, the police seized computer equipment, which may hold valuable information about the ongoing emissions scandal. Leslie Peltier, spokeswoman for Volkswagen France, confirmed the searches, stating that the company is fully cooperating with the French authorities, reported Fox News.
The news came a day after former Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Porsche Automobil Holding, the company that owns most of Volkswagen's stocks. Though Winterkorn has stepped down as Volkswagen's CEO last month, he retained some power and influence by staying on as the head of the company's biggest shareholder, as previously reported by HNGN.
The world's largest automaker stated that up to 11 million of its vehicles were affected by the illegal software. It announced Thursday that it would recall about 8.5 million vehicles in the European Union alone.
