REFILE 1ST LEAD VW executive arrested in US over emissions scandal By Frank Fuhrig, dpa

Detroit (dpa) - A Volkswagen executive was due Monday in federal court to face conspiracy charges over the German carmaker‘s emissions-cheating scandal.A court official confirmed to dpa that the executive was to face a judge in Miami.In response to reports that he was in federal custody, a VW spokesman on Monday declined to comment on an ongoing investigation but said the company continues to "work closely" with law enforcement authorities.A 17-page criminal complaint signed by an FBI on December 30 accuses the executive of "knowingly participating" in a conspiracy that stretched from 2006 until at least September 2015, when VW publicly admitted to the emissions scheme.The conspiracy sought to impede US environmental regulators, defraud VW customers and violate the US Clean Air Act.The executive headed VW‘s environmental and engineering office in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with primary responsibility for US regulatory compliance.Another VW engineer, James Liang, pleaded guilty in October to a charge of conspiracy in the case and is cooperating with authorities as he awaits sentencing.The latest criminal complaint notes two other unnamed cooperating witnesses who are VW employees.The scandal centres around VW‘s installation of software in the engines of 11 million diesel-fueled cars worldwide in order to cheat environmental standards.Since admitting to the cheating in 2015, Europe‘s largest carmaker has faced criminal investigations and remains in talks with customers and governments over compensation and damages for the software.