German court orders detention of former intelligence chief after spying arrest
Summary
Germany has arrested August Hanning, a former head of its foreign intelligence service, on charges of spying and treason. He is accused of buying secret documents from a former colleague and giving them to a foreign intelligence agency while using some of the information for private consulting work.Key Facts
- August Hanning, 80, led Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND) from 1998 to 2005.
- He was arrested on suspicion of spying for a foreign intelligence agency and treason.
- Hanning allegedly bought around 2,000 secret documents from Manfred D, a former BND employee.
- Manfred D, 64, also was arrested and is accused of stealing documents from the BND.
- Prosecutors say Hanning used some of the secret information for his private consulting business.
- The case also links to a separate child kidnapping investigation involving a German business family.
- Investigators are examining if a foreign intelligence service from Azerbaijan was involved; Azerbaijan denies this.
- The scandal is considered one of the biggest German espionage cases since the Cold War.
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