Report: Renault EV espionage scandal may have been hoax

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, Renault, Electric

It looks as if Renault and the French government may have been at the raw end of a hoax surrounding claims of corporate espionage. As you may recall, three of the automaker's executives were recently escorted off of the company's headquarters. While none of the individuals were charged with any crime, reports emerged that they were suspected of stealing secrets tied to the French car company's electric vehicle program and selling them to parties overseas. Reports even pointed toward Chinese automakers as being the largest buyers of those corporate secrets.

That news prompted the French government to look into the Chinese connection, which raised more than a few eyebrows in the People's Republic.

The whole conspiracy hinged on the existence of clandestine bank accounts in Switzerland and Lichtenstein which the corporate thieves could have used to stash their ill-gotten wealth. According to The Guardian, those accounts don't exist.

The accused executives have since set about suing Renault for the accusations, and with no hard evidence to support the claims, it looks as if someone simply pulled an elaborate hoax on the company. At this point, it's unclear who orchestrated the stunt or the motive behind it. Thanks for the tip, Aron!

[Source: The Guardian]

Report: Renault EV espionage scandal may have been hoax originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/07/report-renault-ev-espionage-scandal-may-have-been-hoax/

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