Arrest of Former BND Chief for Espionage on Behalf of Foreign Power
August Hanning, former director of German intelligence service BND, has been arrested for espionage and attempted high treason. Nearly 2,000 classified documents are reported to be involved in the case.
Former BND Chief Hanning Arrested for Espionage and High Treason
To Vima reports that German authorities have arrested August Hanning, former head of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), as part of an investigation into espionage, acquisition of classified information on behalf of a foreign power, and attempted high treason.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office of Germany announced that there are "strong suspicions" of Hanning's involvement in "espionage constituting high treason". According to an official statement from the prosecutorial authorities, an informant is said to have handed over to the former official nearly 2,000 documents, many of which bore secrecy classification.
Analysis for Foreign Service with Classified Material
In one of the cases under investigation, Hanning is said to have used classified information channelled to him by an informant, identified as Manfred D., to compile an analysis for an employee of a foreign intelligence service. This particular case constitutes a key point of the investigation, as it documents direct contact with a representative of a foreign power.
According to the newspaper Bild, prosecutors contend that Hanning purchased classified information from a former BND official and planned to resell it through his consulting activities. The newspaper reports that the case falls within an organised scheme of information trafficking.
The Start of the Investigation
The investigation is said to have begun following the discovery of a leak of reports from German intelligence services intended for the chancellery. This discovery led authorities to trace the network allegedly organised by the former official.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office clarifies that the case concerns not only the trafficking of classified material, but also its possible exploitation for the benefit of a foreign intelligence service — a fact that elevates the charges to the level of high treason.
Seven Years as Head of BND
Hanning served as head of the BND from 1998 to 2005, a total of seven years. His tenure coincided with critical periods for German and European intelligence services, including the period following the attacks of 11 September 2001.
The charges against him are expected to cause serious embarrassment for the BND, the service which he himself managed for nearly a decade. The arrest of a former intelligence service chief is an exceptionally rare occurrence in German political history and raises questions about the oversight mechanisms for former officials entering the private consulting sector.
Source: To Vima