Germany’s former foreign intelligence chief arrested on suspicion of espionage and attempted treason

BERLIN — Former German spy chief August Hanning was detained on Tuesday on suspicion of attempted treason ‌in a case that ranks among Germany’s biggest intelligence scandals since the Cold War.

Prosecutors accused him of paying for secret documents and using them in an analysis for a foreign spy service. They did not identify the intelligence service and it was not immediately clear whether the analysis reached its intended recipient.

The arrest of a former head ​of Germany’s foreign intelligence is unprecedented and could damage the country’s intelligence relationships with allied nations, according to a senior security lawmaker.

“Hanning is ​strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, obtaining state secrets, attempted treason and espionage,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The ⁠Spiegel news magazine reported late on Tuesday that investigators were pursuing a possible connection to Azerbaijan. It reported Hanning had been in contact with ​an agent from the country.

The federal prosecutor’s office declined to comment on the report. Hanning did not respond to a request for comment. The chancellery ​declined to comment.

Five years after his seven-year tenure as head of the BND foreign intelligence service ended in 2005, Hanning agreed with a former BND office manager to receive…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world