Former German chief spook arrested on suspicion of ‘treasonous espionage’

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August Hanning, who led the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, is “strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, spying out state secrets, attempted treason, and espionage,” the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

Hanning, 80, was arrested in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany. A former aide, identified as Manfred D, was also arrested on Tuesday in Steinfurt in western Germany, and has been charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.

“In one instance, there is suspicion that Mr Hanning used classified information to prepare an analysis for an employee of a foreign intelligence service,” said Ines Peterson, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office.

Neither Ms Peterson nor the earlier statement by the prosecutor’s office revealed who exactly the two men were suspected of spying for or which foreign intelligence services they provided with classified information.

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