August Hanning served as the head of Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency from 1998 to 2005. According to German media, he is being investigated for allegedly passing on state secrets and working as an agent.
A quick reminder that the trial against Carsten L., a former departmental head of the BND who was arrested in 2022 accused of spying for Russia, is still ongoing afaik.
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I do not know that, am speaking out of my asshole
It would be helpful to the community if you didn’t.
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Tja
Spy chiefs are gonna spy chief.
tldr; not Russia
Given the circumstances that the documents were discovered because of his involvement in the “Block” case it might be Israel.
In case you haven’t heard about Christina Block German steak heiress on trial over kidnapping own children
What does this case has to do with Israel? Nothing was stated in the DW articel
The state of Israel itself is officially not involved in the Block case, as far as I know. It is just my guess going by ties to the security sector of Israel.
The whole Block case is a hot mess. Hanning is a member of the supervisory board of a security company that got hired. He did some “consulting” and hired other people and was involved in information gathering. He supposedly involved an Israeli security company. Ex-Mossad agents were hired. Supposedly two abduction attempts and the idea to plant CSAM on the ex-husband with the help of Israeli expertise.
Edit: Update due to a news article from SPIEGEL I just read - it’s likely Aserbaidjan.
Why do you say that? The news stories don’t specify. The Guardian says he was well connected in Russia and China, though it’s a bit odd how they just throw that in.
OC speaks German and will have heard it from German news.
Investigators are looking into allegations that the former head of the BND, now aged 80, is said to have carried out a security analysis for a foreign intelligence service in at least one instance. According to information from WDR, NDR and the SZ, however, this does not concern Russia.
Die Ermittler gehen dem Verdacht nach, dass der inzwischen 80 Jahre alte Ex-BND-Chef mindestens in einem Fall eine Sicherheitsanalyse für einen fremden Nachrichtendienst erstellt haben soll. Nach Informationen von WDR, NDR und SZ geht es dabei aber nicht um Russland.
This is part of a German article from German public broadcaster ARD - Tagesschau is their main news segment.
Like the other comment says, I read it in the German news. As this is an important question that pops up immediately, I thought I might add that information. I can understand your scepticism though.
From the Guardian, as @floofloof@lemmy.ca has already posted:
After he left the BND, Hanning worked as a global consultant in the fields of security and business, based on his credentials as former intelligence chief. He is considered to have been well connected with government and business sectors in Russia and China.
My 2ct go to the USA or Israel.
What will all the ex-spies do without their chief?
