Kiesewetter tells Politico of influence network involving former intelligence officers

Bundestag member Roderich Kiesewetter told Politico that former intelligence officers use professional contacts to influence German policy on behalf of foreign governments. The report also mentions a separate case involving former BND chief August Hanning.

Kiesewetter, a Christian Democratic Union member of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said the practice damages Germany’s reputation. He said former officials and intelligence personnel can draw on contacts and knowledge acquired in public service when Germany discusses relations with Russia and China. This is the politician’s allegation, not a finding by investigators.

The report separately refers to the arrest of August Hanning, who headed the BND from 1998 to 2005. Germany’s federal prosecutor suspects him of espionage and treason. The Associated Press reported that Hanning and a former agency employee were arrested on October 6. Suspicions do not establish guilt.

The available source text does not establish a connection between Kiesewetter’s remarks about possible influence networks and the allegations against Hanning. The two matters should therefore be treated separately: one is a political assessment, the other a criminal investigation.