Ex-spy chief despatched to pretrial detention
Former German overseas intelligence company boss August Hanning appeared earlier than a federal choose within the western metropolis of Karlsruhe on Wednesday following his arrest on espionage and treason charges Tuesday.
He has been ordered to stay in detention forward of his trial.
Manfred D., Hanning’s former chief of workers on the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), was additionally detained.
What are the costs in opposition to Hanning?
He is accused of getting stolen secret paperwork and turned these over to Hanning, who, as a private-sector safety advisor, in flip reportedly sold the secret documents to an as but unnamed overseas spy company or companies.
It is estimated that the 2 stole and probably handed on extra 2,000 secret paperwork between 2010 and 2023. Federal investigators say it’s unclear how a lot data was stolen and to whom it was bought.
Hanning ran Germany’s BND intelligence service from 1998 till 2005 earlier than turning into state secretary on the Federal Interior Ministry after which getting into personal trade as a safety advisor.
The concern has raised critical questions in regards to the trustworthiness of Germany’s intelligence companies and shocked politicians into motion as they declare not sufficient is being finished to guarantee that high-ranking safety officers are usually not abusing their expertise when transitioning to jobs within the personal sector.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
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