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Thursday, 8 October 2026dailybeirut.com
World
The Bundestag intelligence oversight committee has commissioned a special review of allegations against former BND president August Hanning and his ex-office director.
The parliamentary control committee for intelligence services in the German Bundestag has tasked its permanent commissioner with conducting a specific examination into espionage accusations leveled at August Hanning, the former head of the German foreign intelligence service (BND).
In an official statement, the committee expressed "great concern" regarding the charges brought against Hanning and his former office director. The body confirmed it had received a detailed briefing from the federal government on the matter. According to the committee, the primary objective of this independent review is to rapidly clarify the circumstances surrounding the case and contribute to addressing existing structural and organizational deficiencies within the agency.
Members of the oversight panel held a closed session on Wednesday with Martin Jäger, the current president of the BND. During this meeting, Jäger provided a briefing on the findings of internal investigations. He stated that the agency had initiated broad internal inquiries early in the process, which subsequently reinforced suspicions against the individuals involved.
The legal framework governing intelligence oversight permits the committee to utilize a permanent commissioner for such tasks. This commissioner examines the facts under the committee's mandate and operates according to its directives. It remains explicitly noted that criminal prosecution continues to fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Public Prosecutor General.
The Federal Public Prosecutor General’s office announced on October 6 the detention of Hanning and his former office director, identified as Manfred D. Prosecutors allege that Hanning faces strong suspicion of treasonous espionage, probing state secrets, attempted high treason, and intelligence activities on behalf of a foreign power. Manfred D. is accused of aiding these actions.
Investigators believe the agreement between the two men dates back to 2010, five years after Hanning left the presidency of the intelligence service. According to the indictment, Manfred D. served as office director for several successive heads of the agency between 2012 and March 2026. This role granted him access to a substantial volume of classified information. Authorities suspect he transferred approximately 2,000 documents to Hanning until June 2022.
Prosecutors suspect Hanning utilized this stolen material in his private consulting work. In one instance, he allegedly prepared an analysis for an officer in a foreign intelligence service whose identity has not been disclosed. It remains unclear whether this analysis reached its intended destination. Additionally, investigators suspect Hanning maintained close contact over several years with an operative from another foreign intelligence agency.
Following their appearance before the investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe, both defendants were placed in pre-trial detention. The defense team for Hanning partially admitted possession of secret materials but denied that any damage was inflicted upon German interests.
A spokesperson for the German government declined to comment on the case due to ongoing investigations. Conversely, Konstantin von Notz, a member of parliament from the Green Party, demanded a swift and comprehensive investigation into the allegations.
Clara Bünger, deputy leader of the Left Party parliamentary group, argued that the case once again demonstrates that intelligence services themselves constitute a security risk.
