Former BND chief August Hanning arrested on espionage charges
August Hanning, who headed Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND from 1998 to 2005, was arrested at his home in Nordwalde on Tuesday on charges of espionage, treason and disclosure of state secrets. A former BND employee, identified as Manfred D., was also arrested for allegedly providing Hanning with classified documents in exchange for payment. Prosecutors have not disclosed which foreign intelligence service Hanning is suspected of working for.
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German authorities arrested August Hanning, 80, the former head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency, at his home in Nordwalde near Münster early Tuesday morning. Hanning led the BND from December 1998 to November 2005 and subsequently served as state secretary at the Interior Ministry until 2009. He faces charges of espionage, disclosure of state secrets, attempted treason and acting as an agent for a foreign intelligence service. The Federal Public Prosecutor General's office confirmed the arrest but did not identify which foreign service Hanning allegedly worked for. A former high-ranking BND employee, identified only as Manfred D. according to German privacy laws, was also arrested separately in Bavaria. Manfred D. served as Hanning's chief of staff during his time as BND leader. Prosecutors suspect that after Hanning left his position, Manfred D. provided him with hundreds of classified documents in exchange for payment. Authorities conducted searches at properties belonging to both men and at additional locations in Berlin. Michaela Küfner, DW's chief political editor, described the case as Germany's biggest espionage scandal of the century, noting that the arrest has raised serious concerns about the vulnerability of Germany's most sensitive security institutions.
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