Volkswagen law firm and Audi headquarters raided by German prosecutors

German prosecutors have searched the offices of US law firm Jones Day, the company hired by Volkswagen to conduct an investigation into its emissions-cheating scandal.

Searches were also carried out in the headquarters of Volkswagen’s luxury brand Audi on Thursday as Munich prosecutors continue to deal with the fallout from the scandal.

Volkswagen criticised the raids on the two buildings, referring to them as “unacceptable in every way”.

"We see the actions of the Munich prosecutor as unacceptable in every way. In our opinion the search of a law firm mandated by a company contravenes the principles of the code of criminal procedure," spokesman Eric Felber said in a statement.

Jones Day conducted the internal investigation when Volkswagen admitted to having installed emissions cheating software on its cars, finding that several high-level employees were involved in the illegal practice. However, the investigation exonerated members of the firm’s management board.

The US Department of Justice recently charged six Volkswagen workers for their roles in the practice, after the German firm agreed to a criminal settlement. The company has estimated the costs of the scandal to have escalated to as much as $22bn.

Audi confirmed that it is complying with the ongoing investigations into its facilities in Ingolstadt and at a plant in Baden-Wuerttemberg.

“Audi is fully cooperating with authorities as we have the highest interest in clarifying matters,” the company spokesperson Moritz Dreschel said.