A former German spy chief is suing the country’s state broadcaster for €100,000 over allegations that he was leaking intelligence to Russia, claims that cost him his job.
Arne Schönbohm, the former head of the Federal Office for Information Security, is demanding damages from ZDF after it aired a show in which he was described as a “huge, bubbling leak” in Germany’s security apparatus.
The allegation was made in a show hosted by the left-wing comedian Jan Böhmermann that was aired in October last year during a prime-time, evening slot.
In the episode, which was titled ‘How a Russian company is hacking Germany unhindered’, Mr Böhmermann alleged that Mr Schönbohm had contact with Russian spies via a consultancy firm that he had helped to set up.
He implied that Moscow was using the alleged communications to access sensitive government information.
“Cyber security in Germany is in danger, and it’s in danger because of its own cyber security boss,” Mr Böhmermann told his viewers.
The claims caused an immediate furore, with newspapers picking up on the affair the following day in reports that described “a scandal” within the interior ministry.
Within a fortnight, interior minister Nancy Faeser, who has direct oversight over the Federal Office for Information Security, sacked Mr Schönbohm citing a “breakdown of trust.”
>Within a fortnight, interior minister Nancy Faeser, who has direct oversight over the Federal Office for Information Security, sacked Mr Schönbohm citing a “breakdown of trust.”
>The move was met with criticism from some quarters, with opponents pointing out that she had abandoned the normal procedure of waiting for the results of an internal inquiry.
>Several months later, the interior ministry admitted that its inquiry into Mr Schönbohm’s activities had produced no evidence of wrongdoing.
3 comments
**From The Telegraph:**
A former German spy chief is suing the country’s state broadcaster for €100,000 over allegations that he was leaking intelligence to Russia, claims that cost him his job.
Arne Schönbohm, the former head of the Federal Office for Information Security, is demanding damages from ZDF after it aired a show in which he was described as a “huge, bubbling leak” in Germany’s security apparatus.
The allegation was made in a show hosted by the left-wing comedian Jan Böhmermann that was aired in October last year during a prime-time, evening slot.
In the episode, which was titled ‘How a Russian company is hacking Germany unhindered’, Mr Böhmermann alleged that Mr Schönbohm had contact with Russian spies via a consultancy firm that he had helped to set up.
He implied that Moscow was using the alleged communications to access sensitive government information.
“Cyber security in Germany is in danger, and it’s in danger because of its own cyber security boss,” Mr Böhmermann told his viewers.
The claims caused an immediate furore, with newspapers picking up on the affair the following day in reports that described “a scandal” within the interior ministry.
Within a fortnight, interior minister Nancy Faeser, who has direct oversight over the Federal Office for Information Security, sacked Mr Schönbohm citing a “breakdown of trust.”
**Read more:** https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/09/01/germany-spy-chief-sues-zdf-arne-schnbohm/
>Within a fortnight, interior minister Nancy Faeser, who has direct oversight over the Federal Office for Information Security, sacked Mr Schönbohm citing a “breakdown of trust.”
>The move was met with criticism from some quarters, with opponents pointing out that she had abandoned the normal procedure of waiting for the results of an internal inquiry.
>Several months later, the interior ministry admitted that its inquiry into Mr Schönbohm’s activities had produced no evidence of wrongdoing.
I‘d probably sue, too 🤷🏼♂️
https://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/interview-mit-geheimdienst-experte-arrogant-unfaehig-buerokratisch-nutzlos-cia-experte-zerlegt-deutsche-spione_id_141194052.html
Are these related issues?