August Hanning, the former president of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND)
Hanning, 80, headed Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, or BND, from December 1998 to November 2005. German broadcaster ARD, citing security sources, reported that the material allegedly included information concerning Iran’s nuclear programme and the Russian army.
Prosecutors said he is “strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, spying out state secrets, attempted treason, and espionage. Hanning and Manfred D agreed in spring 2010 that the former aide would continuously provide Hanning with intelligence from the BND “in exchange for remuneration”, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said that role gave him access to confidential material. “The current findings suggest that, over the years, Manfred D provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents, many of which contained classified information to be used exclusively by the Federal Intelligence Service for internal purposes, particularly for executive intelligence briefings,” the prosecutor’s office said, according to AP.
Some of it was reportedly obtained from partner intelligence agencies abroad. Germany’s former foreign intelligence chief August Hanning was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of treasonous espionage and passing sensitive information to overseas intelligence services, the federal prosecutor’s office said.
Marc Henrichmann, chairman of the German parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, told AFP that Germany would “not tolerate the betrayal of secrets”.