The Telegraph has identified the alleged accomplice of the detained former head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service, August Hanning, as 64-year-old Manfred Dankesreiter. Dankesreiter was arrested on October 6 for allegedly aiding and abetting an attempted treason and espionage.
The German federal prosecutor's office refers to him as Manfred D. because of data protection rules. According to the indictment, he passed confidential documents to Hanning while he was chief of staff to several BND leaders. Dankesreiter retired in March 2026.
The investigation alleges that Hanning received classified material through his former associate, some of which was likely passed on to a foreign intelligence service. German authorities did not specify which country was the recipient. Der Spiegel reported a possible connection to Azerbaijan, but Azerbaijani authorities dismissed the claim as disinformation.
According to The Telegraph, the leaked information may have included classified data shared by the British MI6. The newspaper reported that the current head of the BND, Martin Jaeger, spoke to British officials to assure them that measures were being taken to contain the breach. There has been no public confirmation yet that the prepared analysis has reached its intended recipient.
From intelligence to amateur football
Outside the office, Dankesreiter is known to his neighbors in the Bavarian town of Geretsried as a coach of a local amateur football team. In 2012, he led the club's second men's team to third place in the championship.
The former employee played as a midfielder in the regional German leagues and later worked as a coach at the club “Evrasburg“. According to The Telegraph, people around the team described him as a down-to-earth person who posed as an asset manager during the day.
The case is reminiscent of another German investigation involving a former intelligence officer who was also a coach at an amateur football club. In the current case, however, the prosecutor's office has not yet named the foreign service that allegedly received the information.
Hanning denies selling secrets
Hanning's lawyer told the German newspaper Die Welt: “The claim that he passed on information to the detriment of Germany, let alone for a fee, is incorrect.“
Hanning and Dankesreiter are in custody but have not been convicted. The investigation is ongoing, and the court will have to assess whether the collected data substantiates charges of espionage, disclosure of state secrets and attempted treason.
Sources: aol.com, apnews.com