The suspicion that a German ex-diplomat spied for China has not been substantiated, according to the federal prosecutor.
Therefore, the authority has stopped its investigation into the case.
A spokesman said that there was no sufficient suspicion of being a secret service agent.
In addition to the former diplomat, two employees of a German lobby company had also been investigated.
According to the spokesman, these investigations will not be pursued either.
Two of the accused were suspected of providing personal and business information to the Chinese Ministry of State Security;
the third accused was suspected of having agreed to do so.
According to earlier information from the Federal Prosecutor's Office, there were searches in Berlin, Brussels, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
Lawyer examines possible compensation claims
The former CSU politician Peter Gauweiler took over the legal representation of the ex-EU ambassador.
His office announced that the Federal Public Prosecutor had informed about the termination of the investigation and expressly pointed out possible claims for compensation against the state treasury "for property damage caused by the prosecution measures."
These are "currently being examined by us on behalf of the client".
SPIEGEL reported in January that the former diplomat had worked for a large German lobby company since the end of his career at the EU in 2017 and that, from this year on, he had been supplying “private and business information” to the Chinese Ministry for State Security.
He recruited the other two suspects.
Icon: The mirror
ulz / AFP / dpa
