BERLIN -- Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess traveled to the U.S. this month to testify to authorities about the automaker's emissions scandal, German newspaper Bild reported on Tuesday.
Diess spoke with representatives of the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bild said, without citing the source of the information.
Diess was accompanied by Larry Thompson, the U.S. monitor appointed last year to oversee reforms at VW, the newspaper said.
Bloomberg reported on Monday that Diess was granted a rare safe-passage deal by the U.S., allowing the former BMW executive to travel freely without risk of being arrested in connection with the emissions investigation.
Diess joined VW as head of the core VW marque in July 2015, about two months before the diesel-rigging scandal broke. He became group CEO last month after his predecessor, Matthias Mueller, was ousted by major stakeholders.
VW declined comment on the report.
A person familiar with the matter confirmed that Diess and Thompson had traveled to the U.S. recently for talks with relevant authorities, without being more specific.
Last week, the U.S. filed criminal charges against former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn accusing him of conspiring to cover up the emissions manipulations. U.S. authorities subsequently issued an arrest warrant against Winterkorn, 70, who resigned days after the scandal broke in September 2015.
A source close to VW said there was nothing unusual about the travel arrangements for Diess. VW declined comment.
