A former German spy chief was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of passing sensitive information to foreign powers, an embarrassing case that comes as the country is seeking to bolster its intelligence agencies.
August Hanning, who ran Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency from 1998 to 2005, is accused of espionage, treason and working for foreign intelligence services, federal prosecutors said.
They did not say which foreign powers were involved. However, AFP understands that it was not Russia.
Hanning’s former chief of staff, partially named as Manfred D., was also arrested on suspicion of aiding treason.
The aide is accused of using his position working for some of Hanning’s successors to obtain classified information and sell to his former boss.
Hanning then allegedly used the information in his private consulting work, which included preparing a briefing for a foreign spy and passing information to an agent of another foreign intelligence service, prosecutors said.
Germany would “not tolerate the betrayal of secrets”, Marc Henrichmann, chairman of parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, said in a statement to AFP.
“Whoever allies themselves with the enemies of our liberal democracy will be found out,” he said, adding that Hanning’s alleged behaviour would represent “trampling his official duties underfoot”.
Treason can be punished with a maximum penalty of life in prison in Germany.
The scandal is particularly embarrassing as it comes after the government last month signed off on a major overhaul of intelligence agencies, giving them broader powers to conduct covert operations.
The BND and the BfV domestic spy service have traditionally had more limited powers than foreign counterparts, but authorities are seeking to strengthen them to face growing threats, especially from Russia.
The reforms are expected to be passed by parliament early next year.
The current head of the BND Martin Jaeger said that the agency had “quickly carried out extensive internal investigations” into Hanning case before federal prosecutors took over the probe.
“For the BND and for me, there are no compromises when it comes to internal security,” Jaeger told the Rheinische Post newspaper, adding that the incident had “not called into question any of my aims or any of my priorities”.
