An 80-year-old former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service was apprehended on Tuesday under suspicion of sharing classified information with a foreign intelligence agency, according to the federal prosecutor’s office.
August Hanning, who previously led the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, is facing charges of treasonous espionage, spying on state secrets, attempted treason, and espionage, as stated by the federal prosecutor’s office.
Hanning was arrested in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany, while a former aide, identified as Manfred D., was also apprehended in Steinfurt, in western Germany, and charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.
Ines Peterson, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office, mentioned that there are allegations that Mr. Hanning utilized confidential information to create an analysis for an employee of a foreign intelligence service and shared information with another intelligence service.
The identities of the foreign intelligence services involved or the specific individuals being spied on were not disclosed by the authorities.
Both Hanning and Manfred D. are suspected of engaging in an agreement in 2010 where valuable intelligence from the BND was continuously transmitted to Hanning by Manfred D. in exchange for payment, leading to the passing of around 2,000 documents containing classified information over the years.
Police officers are stationed at the entrance to Hanning’s home in Nordwalde, Germany, on Tuesday. (Christoph Reichwein/DPA/The Associated Press)
Hanning leveraged the intelligence for private consulting purposes, utilizing classified information provided by Manfred D. to produce analyses for foreign intelligence officers, with the specific countries involved yet to be determined.
The federal prosecutor’s office highlighted that Hanning was in regular communication with a representative of another foreign intelligence service, passing on political information sourced from Manfred D.’s materials.
New Developments Stemming from a Separate Investigation
Hanning’s involvement in a separate probe related to the abduction of a Hamburg businesswoman’s children led to the recent arrests.
The ongoing proceedings are based on evidence discovered during a search of Hanning’s residence in connection with the abduction case.
Hanning and another individual are suspected of accepting a contract to abduct the children while working for a security firm, as announced by the public prosecutor’s office.
The Blocks, a well-known Hamburg family, have garnered significant media attention due to their involvement in the custody trial.
German lawmaker Konstantin von Notz expressed dismay over the accusations against Hanning and urged a swift investigation into the matter.
Von Notz stressed the importance of thoroughly examining the serious allegations against the former BND chief.
Efforts to obtain a response from the BND for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
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