An ex-leader of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency was apprehended on Tuesday for allegedly divulging classified information to a foreign intelligence service, as stated by the federal prosecutor’s office.
August Hanning, who headed the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, faces charges of treasonous espionage, spying on state secrets, attempted treason, and espionage, according to the federal prosecutor’s office.
The 80-year-old Hanning was taken into custody in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany. Another individual, identified as Manfred D., a former aide, was also arrested in Steinfurt, western Germany, on Tuesday and has been accused of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.
Ines Peterson, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office, revealed that there were suspicions that Hanning provided classified information to create an analysis for a foreign intelligence service employee and shared information with another intelligence service employee.
The identities of the foreign entities the two men allegedly spied for or received classified data from were not disclosed by Peterson or the prosecutor’s office.
The residences of both individuals were searched on Tuesday.
Manfred D., who worked as Hanning’s chief of staff and later served in the same capacity for subsequent BND presidents from 2012 to 2026, had access to confidential information in his role, as per the prosecutor’s office.
Both suspects allegedly agreed in 2010 to have Manfred D. continuously transmit valuable intelligence from the BND to Hanning in exchange for payment, the statement indicated.
According to the statement, Manfred D. is believed to have provided Hanning with around 2,000 documents over the years, containing classified information intended for internal use by the Federal Intelligence Service, especially for executive intelligence briefings.
Police officers are stationed at the entrance to Hanning’s home in Nordwalde, Germany, on Tuesday. (Christoph Reichwein/DPA/The Associated Press)
Hanning utilized the information for private consulting work and reportedly drafted an analysis for a foreign intelligence service officer using classified intelligence from Manfred D.
The statement did not specify the country the alleged foreign agent belonged to and mentioned that it was not yet confirmed if the information reached the intended recipient.
It was also stated that “Hanning maintained close ties with a representative of another foreign intelligence service, to whom he provided political information based partially on data from Manfred D. for several years.”
Separate probe led to new information
Hanning came under scrutiny in a separate
