[AP/Yonhap News Photo]
An executive at the South Korean branch of German car giant Audi Volkswagen was sentenced to 18 months in prison Friday on charges of fabricating obligatory reports on emissions results and noise levels.
A Seoul court said the executive surnamed Yoon was found guilty of forging company documents from August 2010 to February last year. He was also involved in the illegal change of parts for the Golf 1.4 TSI.
In South Korea, imported cars should receive state approval of their emissions results and noise levels.
In December, South Korea's anti-trust watchdog levied a record fine of 31.8 million US dollars on Volkswagen's local branch for falsely advertising that its cars were eco-friendly. The company was accused of deceiving consumers with false and exaggerated ads and covering up its fabrication.
The company has been punished with a flurry of legal actions in South Korea and other countries for falsifying emissions tests.
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