BERLIN (Dispatches) -- Leaked emails have revealed business and political ties between former German intelligence chief August Hanning and ex-Mossad director Danny Yatom, including discussions about German political candidates and proposed intelligence assessments.
Hanning, who headed Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, was arrested on October 6 on suspicion of treasonous espionage and other intelligence-related offenses, The Cradle reported. 
Prosecutors believe Hanning obtained approximately 2,000 intelligence documents from a former BND employee identified only as “Manfred D.” over 12 years, using classified material in private consulting work, including with Yatom.
Hanning and Manfred D. agreed in 2010 to exchange valuable intelligence information for payment, with Manfred D. continuing to provide documents until June 2022, according to the report. 
The material reportedly included internal briefings prepared for senior German officials, information intended for restricted use within the federal intelligence service, and documents that could expose sensitive government assessments.
In one instance, prosecutors suspect Hanning used classified information to prepare an analysis for an employee of a foreign intelligence service. Both Hanning and Manfred D. were placed in pretrial detention following their arrests on suspicion of “espionage, spying out state secrets, and attempted treason.”
Yatom was reportedly among the beneficiaries of the intelligence-related dealings. In a 2018 email, Hanning told Yatom he could prepare an “overview from senior German and the intelligence agencies about the candidate,” offering to deliver it by July 13 for €10,000.
In 2021, Yatom contacted Hanning about arranging meetings with candidates in Germany’s federal election, seeking to present the capabilities of his political-campaign company, CIY Global. 
The two men also had business connections involving World Health Energy Holdings, a cybersecurity company linked to Yatom where Hanning reportedly served in an advisory capacity.
The case has sent shock waves through European intelligence circles, with agencies reviewing whether confidential information previously shared with Germany may have been compromised. 
One European intelligence official said services were assessing the risks to information previously provided to Germany, while another official from an allied agency said they expected partner services to conduct similar reviews.
A Western official said documents taken from the BND included intelligence originating from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, raising concerns that the suspected breach could extend beyond Germany’s own security apparatus. 
A German security official described the case as “a total disaster,” warning that the possible consequences for the BND’s relations with partner intelligence services were “very, very serious.”
The concerns surrounding Israeli-linked spy networks extend beyond Germany, with investigations in Poland, Spain and Greece exposing the use of Israeli-developed spyware against politicians, journalists and other figures.