A former Volkswagen employee has reportedly sued for unlawful termination, accusing the company of illegally destroying data.
The data-center worker claims he was fired after attempting to prevent a colleague from illegally deleting data after the emissions-cheating scandal was first made public by the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board, according to German media reports cited by Reuters.
Specific details surrounding the allegedly deleted data remain unclear, though the lawsuit appears to imply that the information could have served as evidence in the numerous government investigations focused on the emissions ‘defeat’ system. The Department of Justice reportedly told the company to retain such data at the time.
VW has declined to comment on the lawsuit, though a statement appears to suggest the matter is a simple labor dispute rather than a potentially significant finding that could affect government investigations.
“These are legal proceedings concerning labor law on which we don’t comment as a matter of principle,” a German spokesperson said.
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