Germany arrests former spy chief August Hanning on espionage charges
August Hanning, the 80-year-old former head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency from 1998 to 2005, has been arrested on suspicion of espionage, treason and disclosure of state secrets. Authorities also detained a former senior BND employee, identified as Manfred D., who is accused of supplying Hanning with classified documents in exchange for payment.
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German federal prosecutors announced the arrest of August Hanning, 80, the former head of the BND foreign intelligence service. He faces charges including espionage, treason and disclosure of state secrets. Hanning led the BND from December 1998 to November 2005 and subsequently served as state secretary in the Federal Interior Ministry until 2009. The federal prosecutor's office did not reveal which foreign intelligence service he is suspected of working for.
Authorities also arrested a former senior BND employee, identified only as Manfred D. according to German privacy law, who served as Hanning's chief of staff during his time as spy chief. Manfred D. is accused of supplying Hanning with hundreds of classified documents after Hanning left the agency, allegedly in exchange for payment. Police conducted searches at properties belonging to both suspects as well as locations in Berlin.
A chief political editor characterised the case as Germany's biggest espionage scandal of the century, emphasising the severity of allegations against a man who once occupied one of the country's most senior intelligence positions.
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