German authorities drop probe over alleged recording at Tesla works council meeting

FRANKFURT, March 27 (Reuters) - German authorities have dropped a probe over Tesla's TSLA.O allegations that an IG Metall trade union member secretly recorded a works council meeting in an acrimonious tussle for unionisation at the electric-vehicle maker's plant near Berlin.

The company in February filed a criminal complaint, accusing the union representative of illegally recording the meeting on a laptop computer.

The prosecutors' office in the eastern city of Frankfurt an der Oder told Reuters on Friday that police officers had found no indication that the device's microphone had been active during the time in question or that any recording had been made.

The findings were preliminary but once prosecutors receive the full police report, they expect to wrap up the case soon, said a spokeswoman for the office.

Germany's powerful metalworkers' union IG Metall earlier this month suffered a setback at Tesla Germany's works council elections, after a campaign marked by mud-slinging and legal challenges.