Germany’s parliamentary intelligence oversight committee has ordered a rare ad-hoc investigation into the escalating espionage case surrounding former Federal Intelligence Service (BND) president August Hanning, WELT reported. The investigation deepens as new allegations emerge linking the former spy chief to foreign intelligence figures in both Azerbaijan and the People’s Republic of China.
PKGr Reviews Allegations Against Hanning and Office Manager
The Parliamentary Control Gremium (PKGr), which includes lawmakers from the Union, SPD, and Green Party domestic policy expert Konstantin von Notz, reviewed the severe allegations against Hanning and his former office manager during a closed-door briefing with current BND President Martin Jäger. To accelerate the fact-finding process, the committee formally tasked its permanent representative with an ad-hoc inspection.
Describing the current situation to MDR, Green Party politician Konstantin von Notz called the developments a truly unique and dismaying case of treason. Von Notz emphasized that policymakers must now examine how a former intelligence chief could access and pass on sensitive information unnoticed for years, questioning where the system failed.
Expanding Allegations Involving Foreign Intelligence Contacts
Hanning and his former office manager, identified as Manfred D., were arrested and subsequently placed in pretrial detention. Investigators allege that Manfred D. systematically supplied Hanning with classified internal BND documents in exchange for ongoing financial compensation starting around 2010. Hanning allegedly utilized these insights to bolster his private consulting ventures five years after leaving public office.
While early media reports pointed to potential ties between Hanning and an Azerbaijani agent, exclusive reporting from Der Spiegel brought forward new allegations regarding contacts with the People’s Republic of China. WELT noted that investigators are scrutinizing whether the 80-year-old former official shared sensitive information with a man tied to the Chinese intelligence apparatus.
According to reporting, this Chinese contact is former Generalmajor Wang Jianzheng, whom Hanning reportedly met on trips to China following his retirement. Wang served at the Chinese representation in East Berlin from 1987 to 1990 and later returned to Germany as a military attaché until 2013, earning a reputation within the Chinese apparatus as the best expert on Germany.
Unresolved Questions Over BND Knowledge and Financial Motives
Further complications arose regarding the BND’s internal awareness of these arrangements. Der Spiegel reported that the intelligence agency had officially granted Manfred D. permission to pursue part-time work alongside his duties for Hanning.
Meanwhile, parallel reporting from Bild via n-tv highlighted significant financial pressures preceding the arrest. Hanning reportedly faced severe liquidity issues following the 2019 bankruptcy of Latvia’s PNB Banka, where he had served on the supervisory board alongside former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. While Rasmussen reportedly faced no immediate liabilities, Hanning was ordered to pay up to four million euros, resulting in the seizure of his government pension.
In February 2022, Hanning appealed directly to then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz via letter, asking him to raise the PNB Banka insolvency during a visit from the Latvian prime minister and accusing Latvian authorities of suppressing the illegal diversion of funds. Hanning reportedly received no assistance from the federal government.
Hanning’s legal defense has rejected the core criminal allegations. Attorney Leon Kruse acknowledged that his client possessed confidential materials but firmly denied that Hanning passed on contained information to the detriment of Germany or in exchange for financial gain, stating that his mandator is being wrongfully prosecuted.
