The German Federal Prosecutor's Office stated on October 6 local time that August Hanning, the former director of the German Federal Intelligence Agency, was arrested on suspicion of paying for confidential documents and using these information to write an analysis report for a foreign intelligence agency.

Berlin, capital of Germany

　　Prosecutors did not say which foreign intelligence agency was involved, and it was unclear whether the analysis was ultimately handed over to the intended recipient, Reuters reported.

　　The prosecution pointed out that Hanning stepped down as the director of the German Federal Intelligence Agency in 2005 and later reached an agreement with a former head of the intelligence office to pay for confidential intelligence information. The former office supervisor, identified only as Manfred D, was arrested the same day because of privacy rules.

　　Prosecutors said that D is suspected of providing Hanning with about 2000 documents over the years, including confidential information for internal use only by the German Federal Intelligence Agency and intelligence briefings submitted to senior officials of the Prime Minister's Office.

　　According to the prosecution, Hanning used classified information provided by D to write analysis for a foreign intelligence official; in addition, he also provided political information to a representative of another foreign intelligence agency for many years.

　　The German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that the case did not involve Russia.