Former German foreign intelligence chief August Hanning arrested on suspicion of espionge, attempted treason
August Hanning is accused of illegally receiving classified information during his time in office and after vacating his post, which were improperly used for his personal consultancy work.
Former German foreign intelligence chief August Hanning has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and attempted treason, according to the federal prosecutor's office. Hanning, who served as head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, is accused of passing state secrets to a foreign intelligence service and attempting treason.
His alleged wrongdoing includes using classified information to prepare an analysis for a foreign intelligence service employee and passing on information following an extensive exchange with another intelligence service employee. Neither the spokesperson for the federal prosecutor's office nor the earlier statement revealed the specific foreign intelligence services that Hanning allegedly spied for.
The arrest of Hanning took place in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen, southern Germany, while his former aide, Manfred D., was arrested in Steinfurt, western Germany. Manfred D., who worked as Hanning's chief of staff and later a chief of staff for subsequent BND presidents, is also accused of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.
Both men are believed to have agreed in 2010 for Manfred D. to continuously transmit valuable intelligence from the BND to Hanning in exchange for payment. Hanning is suspected of using this information in his private consulting work, while Manfred D. provided Hanning with classified information until June 2022. The arrests were made in connection with a separate investigation into the abduction of Hamburg businesswoman Christina Block's children from her ex-husband in Denmark in January 2024.
Hanning and a retired official from the Hamburg State Criminal Police Office are suspected of accepting a contract from the businesswoman in 2022 to abduct the children while serving as executives of a security firm. The custody trial has garnered significant attention in Germany, with opposition lawmaker Konstantin von Notz expressing shock at the allegations and calling for a swift and thorough investigation.
He also advocated for barring former top executives and those with top-level security clearances from engaging in private consultancy work after leaving office, citing national security concerns.
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