ON OCTOBER 5TH Martin Jäger, head of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (bnd), Germany’s version of the cia, sat before lawmakers and solemnly(郑重地) proclaimed the importance of trust between intelligence agencies. What Mr Jäger knew then, and what the world learned one day later, is that the bnd was sitting on an explosive scandal that risks torpedoing(彻底破坏) its already poor reputation just as the Bundestag(德国联邦议院) prepares to grant it sweeping(广泛的) new powers.
10月5日，德国联邦情报局（BND，相当于德国的中央情报局）局长马丁·耶格尔坐在议员们面前，郑重宣告情报机构之间信任的重要性。耶格尔当时已经知道、而世界在一天后才得知的是：BND正压着一桩爆炸性丑闻，这桩丑闻有可能在该机构即将获得联邦议院授予的广泛新权力之际，将其本已不佳的声誉彻底击沉。
Early on October 6th police arrested August Hanning, one of Mr Jäger’s predecessors(前任), and a man named as Manfred D. Among other crimes, they were suspected of “treasonous espionage(叛国式间谍活动)”: procuring(获取) classified bnd information with the intention of passing it on to(将其传递给) foreign agents.
10月6日清晨，警方逮捕了耶格尔的前任之一奥古斯特·汉宁，以及一名被称为曼弗雷德·D的男子。除其他罪行外，他们涉嫌“叛国式间谍活动”：获取 BND 机密情报，意图将其传递给外国特工。
The allegation is that Mr D, who served as chief of staff(幕僚长) to Mr Hanning and his successors, passed nearly 2,000 documents to his former boss between 2010 and 2022. Prosecutors say that Mr Hanning, who after leaving the bnd in 2005 went on to work as a security consultant, used the material to compile a briefing for someone from a foreign intelligence service (Azerbaijan’s, according to the German press); and maintained links with an agent from another.(检方称，汉宁2005年离开BND后转行做安全顾问，他利用这些材料为某外国情报机构的人员编写了一份简报，并与另一国的一名特工保持联系。) Some of the information, prepared for briefings in the chancellery(总理府), is said to have covered sensitive matters like Iran’s nuclear programme(伊朗核计划). Mr Hanning denies passing on classified information to Germany’s detriment(损害德国利益), or for payment.
指控称，曾担任汉宁及其继任者幕僚长的曼弗雷德·D，在2010年至2022年间向这位前上司传递了近2000份文件。检方称，汉宁2005年离开 BND 后转行做安全顾问，他利用这些材料为某外国情报机构的人员（据德国媒体报道，是阿塞拜疆的）编写了一份简报，并与另一国的一名特工保持联系。其中一些为总理府简报准备的信息，据称涉及伊朗核计划等敏感议题。汉宁否认以损害德国利益或获取报酬为目的传递机密信息。