Germany's press office employee probed over Egypt spying

A German intelligence report said unspecified measures had been taken against the member of staff in December, on orders from federal prosecutors.

File Photo: German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el Sisi at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, November 20, 2019.
Reuters

File Photo: German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el Sisi at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, November 20, 2019.

German authorities are investigating suspicions that an employee of the government's press office worked for years for an Egyptian intelligence service, according to Germany's domestic intelligence agency.

The case was mentioned in the BfV domestic intelligence agency's 385-page annual report, published on Thursday.

Police carried out "executive measures" against the man in December 2019 after he was found to have "worked for years for an Egyptian intelligence service", according to a report on the protection of the constitution.

The man worked for the visitor service of the federal government press office (BPA), headed by Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert, according to the Bild daily.

Deputy government spokeswoman Martina Fietz said the person in question did not have access to sensitive information. 

She declined to give details on Friday, and also wouldn't say whether the man is still in Germany or in custody. 

“We don’t comment on ongoing investigations or on personnel matters,” Fietz told reporters at a regular government news conference.

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Intel on Muslim Brotherhood members

The main tasks of Egyptian secret service agents in Germany include gathering information about members of groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, according to the government report.

They are also interested in members of the Coptic Christian community and in recruiting Egyptian nationals as spies, it said.

"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.

The Egyptian embassy in Berlin was not immediately available for comment. 

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