The spymaster who sold secrets: ex-BND chief Hanning arrested for treason

BERLIN: German federal prosecutors on Tuesday arrested August Hanning, the 80-year-old former chief of the country's foreign intelligence service, on suspicion of treason and espionage — the first detention of a former BND chief in the agency's history. Hanning, who led the Bundesnachrichtendienst from 1998 to 2005 and later served as a state secretary in the Interior Ministry, was arrested at his home on Tuesday morning. His former chief of staff, identified as Manfred D., was arrested separately, and both men's premises were searched. Prosecutors say Hanning is strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, obtaining state secrets, attempted treason and acting as an agent for a foreign intelligence service. Manfred D. is charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage. The alleged scheme began in spring 2010, after Hanning left office and founded a consulting firm. Manfred D., who went on to serve as office manager and chief of staff to subsequent BND presidents until spring this year, allegedly passed Hanning around 2,000 classified documents — including chancellery intelligence briefings and material on Iran's nuclear programme and the Russian military — in exchange for payment, until June 2022. Hanning allegedly used the material to draft a security analysis for a foreign intelligence service and maintained close contact with another foreign service's representative for years. Authorities have not publicly identified the country involved, though German media reports indicate Russia has been ruled out. Prosecutors said it was unclear whether the material reached its intended recipient. BND chief Martin Jäger said the agency had launched internal investigations at an early stage that substantiated the suspicions, adding that there can be no compromises regarding internal security. The government spokesman declined to comment. The arrest is a deep embarrassment for Berlin's security establishment and a setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's drive to reform the BND, coming a day after the intelligence chiefs' parliamentary question session. Greens MP Konstantin von Notz, who sits on the parliamentary intelligence-oversight committee, called the case deeply troubling and demanded a ban on former officials with security clearances moving into private consulting — the revolving door through which, prosecutors allege, Germany's secrets walked out.