BERLIN: German authorities arrested former foreign intelligence chief August Hanning on Tuesday on suspicion of attempted treason and espionage involving classified documents.
Prosecutors accused Hanning of paying for secret material and using it to prepare an analysis for a foreign intelligence officer.
They have not identified the service or established whether the analysis reached its intended recipient. Hanning and his legal team denied the allegations after his arrest.
Investigators also arrested former intelligence office manager Manfred D., whose surname authorities withheld under privacy rules.
Prosecutors suspect him of supplying about 2,000 documents over several years. These included internal intelligence material and briefings for senior officials at the German chancellery.
Hanning led Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) for seven years until 2005. Prosecutors believe he agreed to pay Manfred D. for confidential information in 2010.
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According to investigators’ current findings, the document transfers continued up to June 2022. Meanwhile, Manfred D. worked for successive BND presidents until March.
Prosecutors further suspect Hanning of sharing political information over several years with a representative of a separate foreign intelligence service.
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Some allegedly drew on material supplied by Manfred D. BND president Martin Jaeger said the agency began extensive internal investigations as soon as suspicions emerged.
“There can be no compromises on internal security,” he said. Hanning was due before a Federal Court of Justice judge on Wednesday.
