Former German foreign intelligence chief August Hanning has been detained on suspicion of espionage, treason and obtaining classified information for a foreign power, Bild reported on Tuesday.
Prosecutors allege that Hanning, who headed Germany’s BND foreign intelligence service until 2005, bought classified information from a former agency employee and intended to sell it as part of his consulting activities, according to the newspaper.
The investigation was launched after authorities discovered an alleged leak of intelligence reports intended for the German chancellery, Bild said.
Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office has confirmed Hanning’s arrest but has not disclosed which country he and another suspect are alleged to have spied for.
From the BND to private security
Hanning headed the Bundesnachrichtendienst, or BND, from 1998 until 2005.
Before taking over the intelligence agency, he worked in the Federal Chancellery and from 1996 supervised Germany’s intelligence services there. He later served as state secretary at the Federal Interior Ministry.
After leaving public service, Hanning became involved in private security and consulting.
One of his documented roles was with WHEN Group, a cybersecurity company described at the time as Israeli. Hanning joined its advisory board in July 2021 as the company sought to expand its security-monitoring technology internationally.
At the time, WHEN Group was headed by former Mossad director Danny Yatom, who had joined the company as president earlier that year. Yatom had previously served as head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service and in senior Israeli military and government roles.
Hanning remains listed on WHEN Group’s current website as a member of its advisory board, while Yatom is listed as company president. The company describes itself as a publicly traded technology group working in cybersecurity and threat detection.
There is no publicly established link between Hanning’s role at WHEN Group and the espionage allegations for which he has now been detained.
The BND did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the latest case.
[(With information from Reuters/Picture by Jan Kleihues (Stefan Müller, photographer)]
