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GM places 2 engineers on leave as part of ignition switch probe

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(Reuters) — General Motors Co. said it had placed two engineers on paid leave as part of an investigation into defective ignition switches that led to the recall of 2.6 million cars worldwide.

"This is an interim step as we seek the truth about what happened," GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said in a statement.

Reuters has confirmed that the engineers are Ray DeGiorgio and Gary Altman.

Mr. DeGiorgio designed the original switch for the 2003 Saturn Ion that went into production in August 2002. Versions of the same switch were used in other GM models, including the Chevrolet Cobalt, that are also part of the global recall.

Mr. Altman was the program engineering manager on the Ion and Cobalt.

Some members of Congress have expressed interest in calling GM engineers, including Mr. DeGiorgio, to testify at hearings that will likely come this spring or summer.

At least 13 deaths have been linked to the faulty ignition switches, which can cause the engine to turn off suddenly, disabling the air bags and making steering and braking more difficult.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is fining GM $7,000 a day for missing an April 3 deadline to provide information about the recall.

The regulator said on Tuesday that the automaker had not responded to over a third of its questions by the deadline.

GM shares were little changed at $33.63 on Thursday morning on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock has fallen about 17% so far this year.