Former German spy chief arrested for espionage and treason
Prosecutors say the former BND chief received about 2,000 classified documents and used some in private consulting and foreign intelligence work.
- On Tuesday, German federal prosecutors arrested former Federal Intelligence Service president August Hanning and an aide identified as Manfred in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen on suspicion of espionage, treason, and obtaining classified information.
- Prosecutors allege Hanning bought secret BND intelligence reports intended for the German Chancellery to leverage for his private consulting activities, following discovery of an alleged leak of sensitive materials.
- Hanning served as president of the Federal Intelligence Service from Dec. 1998 to Nov. 2005, a tenure marked by significant restructuring within Germany's intelligence apparatus.
- Authorities have not publicly disclosed which foreign country or service may be involved, while the BND and Germany's federal prosecutor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
- Further details are expected as the investigation develops, with the case demonstrating a potential security breach within Germany's intelligence oversight at the highest levels.
454 Articles
454 Articles
The man would have paid for access to confidential documents and used them to produce an analysis for a foreign intelligence service.
Today, Tuesday, the German authorities arrested the former head of the German Foreign Intelligence Service, August Hanning, on suspicion of having committed crimes related to espionage, leaking State secrets and engaging in intelligence activity for the benefit of a foreign party.
August Hanning, head of German foreign intelligence from 1998 to 2005, was arrested. He is suspected of having obtained, through his former chief of staff, thousands of highly sensitive documents after reconverting himself to the private sector. Foreign countries would have benefited Former head of German foreign intelligence (BND), August Hanning as well as another former chief of this department were arrested on Tuesday for espionage, accordin…
Former German Intelligence Chief August Hanning arrested on alleged treason and espionage charges - The Tribune
In an official statement, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced that the two German nationals were taken into custody on Tuesday, in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen County, Bavaria, and Steinfurt County, North Rhine-Westphalia, pursuant to warrants issued by the Investigating Judge at the Federal Court of Justice. Law enforcement officers simultaneously searched properties in both locations as well as in Berlin.
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