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

BERLIN — Former German spy chief August Hanning was detained 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 Tuesday that investigators were pursuing a possible connection to Azerbaijan. It reported Hanning had been in contact with ​an agent from the country.