August Hanning is 80 years old. He was the chief of the BND. That is the German spy agency for foreign lands. The police arrest him on Tuesday. He allegedly betrays state secrets. People call that Landes-Verrat.
A former helper aids him. His name is Manfred D. He allegedly gives Hanning almost 2.000 secret papers. This happens over many years. Hanning allegedly pays money for it. He uses the info for his work as an advisor.
The investigators believe: Hanning gives info to foreign spy agencies. One land is Aserbaidschan. It has nothing to do with Russland. The current BND chief says: We check everything very closely. Safety is very important to us.
Politicians are shocked by the news. They demand stricter rules now. Former chiefs of the secret service must be more careful later. They must not use their old contacts for private money. A judge sees Hanning now.
