China dismisses prominent Volkswagen officials
According to recent news reports, Volkswagen has expelled one of its top executives from China. Jochen Sengpiehl, a marketing guru with a history at Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Mercedes, was allegedly involved in a drug offense. The German car manufacturer is currently probing the situation internally, while the specifics of the case remain unconfirmed by the company.
Sengpiehl has a rich career in the automotive industry, having worked for Volkswagen between 2006 and 2009 and again since 2017. He also had stints at Hyundai and Mercedes. Notably, Volkswagen brought him back to restore its reputation following the diesel emissions scandal in 2015. In 2022, the company assigned him to China, its primary sales market. But his stay in the country has now taken an unexpected turn.
As per unverified reports, Sengpiehl allegedly consumed cannabis during a trip to Thailand. After returning to China, he was detained in Beijing for a drug test, according to Bild newspaper. The report claims that the test results confirmed drug consumption. Sengpiehl reportedly faced hours of interrogation and more than ten days in detention.
China has a strict approach to drug laws, even if the consumption happened abroad, as long as it's traceable. This means extended detentions without verdicts are possible, as happened with Sengpiehl. With diplomatic efforts by Volkswagen Group China and the German Embassy in Beijing, the executive finally secured his release. However, he was obligated to leave China immediately and is now believed to be back in Germany.
The investigation at Volkswagen into Jochen Sengpiehl's situation has not been limited to internal probing, as international media outlets have also reported on the Manufacture of motor vehicles giant's response to the allegations against its top executive. Despite his successful tenure in revitalizing Volkswagen's reputation following the 2015 diesel emissions scandal, Sengpiehl's career in the Manufacture of motor vehicles industry has taken an unprecedented turn due to the drug allegations.
