Germany charges man for spying for Egypt

Germany’s Public Prosecutor General (GBA) Monday announced an Egypt-born German citizen, working for state-run federal government press office, has been charged with espionage for Egypt.

The man identified as Amin A. in accordance with the German secrecy law, “used this position from at least July 2010 to support employees of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS) in obtaining information,” GBA said.

The man began working in 1999 at the visitor service of the federal government press office (BPA), headed by Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert.

There, the GBA further noted, he used his language skills and the resources available to him at the BPA to survey and compile reports on the German media, especially about domestic and foreign policy.

Amin. A , according to the charges, also participated in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to recruit a source for the GIS in 2014 and 2015 by providing secret service staff with a contact.

In return for his services for the Egyptian secret service, Amin A. according to Germany authorities, got preferential treatment from the Egyptian authorities for himself and his family, including help with his mother’s pension. The privileges also included regular invitations to official receptions.

Egypt-paid German spy was discovered recently and the case was mentioned in the BfV domestic intelligence agency’s 385-page annual report, published in July.

“There are indications that Egyptian services are trying to recruit Egyptians living in Germany for intelligence purposes through their visits to Egyptian diplomatic missions in Germany and their trips to Egypt,” the report said.