US state attorneys have slammed Volkswagen for withholding documents relating the company’s use of illegal diesel emission-beating software.

AS LAW SUITS GET underway in the US against Volkswagen and its use of illegal diesel emissions-beating software, US state attorneys have criticised the German car maker for citing German law to withhold documents relating to the issue, according to Reuters.

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said it was “frustrating” that “despite public statements professing cooperation … Volkswagen is, in fact, resisting cooperation by citing German law.”

Volkswagen appears to be withholding emails sent between its executives from a staggering 48 US state attorneys general investigating the issues. Around 580,000 cars in the US are affected by the EA189 ‘defeat device’ software. The U.S. Justice Department and German prosecutors are also investigating the automaker, which has said up to 11 million vehicles worldwide had the software.

New York attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, complained that VW’s cooperation has been “spotty.” VW “has been slow to produce documents from its US files, it has sought to delay responses until it completes its ‘independent investigation’ several months from now,” he said in a statement.

Volkswagen has declined to say whether it’s withholding documents, and has blamed the ‘defeat device’ software on a small group of employees… 

“We are in permanent exchange with U.S. authorities and are cooperating closely with them. We are not commenting on ongoing investigations,” Volkswagen said.

Early last week, the Justice Department filed a civil suit against VW seeking up to $46 billion for Clean Air Act violations in allowing excess emissions in 580,000 diesel vehicles. The Justice Department’s suit said government “efforts to learn the truth about the (excess) emissions … were impeded and obstructed by material omissions and misleading information provided by VW entities.”