German authorities have arrested August Hanning, a former head of the country’s foreign intelligence service, on suspicion of espionage and treason, federal prosecutors said.
Prosecutors accuse Hanning of obtaining classified information for a foreign power. They allege he used secret intelligence to prepare an analysis for an officer of one foreign intelligence service and passed political information to a representative of another over several years. Investigators have not named the foreign powers or established whether the analysis reached its intended recipient.
Police also arrested former intelligence employee Manfred D, whom prosecutors accuse of supplying Hanning with about 2,000 documents, many containing classified material, in return for payment. He is charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage.
Hanning led Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service from 1998 to 2005 and later worked as a private consultant. Manfred D, once his bureau chief, remained with the service until this year. Prosecutors said Manfred D was due in court on Tuesday and Hanning on Wednesday.
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