Ex-German spy chief arrested for attempted treason

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

The federal prosecutor's office declined to comment on the report. Hanning did not respond to a request for comment. The chancellery declined to comment.

Five years after his seven-year tenure as head of the BND foreign intelligence service ended in 2005, Hanning agreed with a former BND office manager to receive confidential intelligence information in exchange for payment, according to prosecutors.

The office manager, identified as Manfred D. in line with privacy rules, was also arrested on Tuesday, and both were due to appear before a judge at the Federal Court of Justice.