The wife of a German political scientist targeted by justice for spying for the benefit of the Chinese intelligence services was in turn indicted on the same grounds, the federal prosecutor's office announced on Monday.
Read also: Germany: arrest of a scientist suspected of spying for Russia
According to the Karlsruhe prosecutor's office, responsible for terrorism and espionage, the German-Italian Klara K. and her husband Klaus L. had been contacted by the Chinese espionage services during a speaking tour in Shanghai (China). ) in 2010.
Since that date and until 2019, they "
regularly provided information to Chinese intelligence before or after state visits or international conferences
," said the prosecution in a statement.
The political scientist had already been indicted in early July.
The couple received "
honoraria
" in exchange for information obtained through their numerous high-level political contacts, made within the framework of the think-tank headed by Klaus L. since 2001. They are also suspected of having been paid for going to meetings with Chinese intelligence officers.
A very embarrassing affair for the country
This case could prove particularly embarrassing for Germany: Klaus L. would indeed have worked for fifty years for the BND, the German federal intelligence service, had revealed the public channel ARD in a thorough investigation.
His alleged double agent activity led the police to search his home in 2019, two years before his arrest.
According to ARD, the political scientist would have partly entrusted the BND with his links with the Chinese services.
Klaus L. was one of the leaders, according to ARD, of the influential Hanns-Seidel Foundation, affiliated with the Bavarian conservatives of the CSU.
Germany was recently faced with another spy case, this time involving Russia. German justice announced on June 21 the arrest on its territory of a Russian scientist working in a university and suspected of spying on behalf of Moscow.