"We opened a fine procedure yesterday" against the high-end car giant, a spokesman for prosecutors in car industry bastion Stuttgart told AFP. Like VW, Daimler is suspected of building "defeat device" functions into its motor control software that allowed cars to reduce harmful emissions when undergoing regulatory tests. In a statement, Daimler confirmed the probe and said it would "continue to cooperate fully" with prosecutors. Beyond the Mercedes-Benz maker, VW sports car subsidiary Porsche andcomponents supplier Bosch both face open fine proceedings. SEE ALSO: Porsche faces fresh fine over 2015 diesel cheating scandalAnd on top of the probe into the company itself over so-called "administrative offences", four Daimler managers are the target of a criminal investigation for fraud and false advertising linked to the practice.

Source: The Local February 21, 2019 09:00 UTC