For alleged involvement in the diesel scandal, the Stuttgart public prosecutor has applied for penal orders against three Daimler employees at the Böblingen district court.

It was about suspicion of fraud, said a spokeswoman for the authorities on Friday.

When asked, she did not provide any information about the type and amount of the penalty applied for.

A fine or a suspended prison sentence of up to one year can be imposed.

Initially, the "Wirtschaftswoche" reported on it.

It is about the allegation of manipulation of the emissions control system of cars with diesel engines from Daimler.

According to the information, those affected are an employee from one of the lower management levels of the company and two clerks without personnel responsibility.

According to the public prosecutor's office, you are accused of being responsible for the fact that the engine control software of some of the diesel vehicles of the Euro 6 emission class that were affected by a recall by the Federal Motor Transport Authority contained an inadmissible defeat device.

Daimler launched the cars on the European market between August 2011 and December 2016.

Daimler does not share the assessment

Daimler confirmed that the Stuttgart public prosecutor had applied for penal orders in individual proceedings against three employees.

According to the company's knowledge, “the interpretation of the highly complex regulations by the employees at the relevant point in time” was “justifiable” and was not done with the intention of acting illegally.

Daimler therefore “does not share the public prosecutor's legal assessment that the matter in question was fraud”.

The prosecution said that proceedings against another clerk had been discontinued against the payment of a monetary requirement.

The investigations against four people have not yet been concluded.