August Hanning, former BND chief, was a partner in a military company in Dolj with a former Romanian official

August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service BND, was detained on October 6, 2026, accused of espionage for the purpose of treason, illegally obtaining classified documents, and transmitting them to foreign state actors. Just six months earlier, he had become a partner in a military consulting firm based in Dolj County.

The company, renamed IDA International Defence Advisory SRL, was established with the participation of four partners. Former Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence Andrei Ignat held 40% of the shares and was the administrator, while August Hanning, Manfred Georg Eduard Gustav Osterwald, and Petru Rus each held 20%.

Ignat confirmed the partnership but stated that it lasted approximately one month, citing differences regarding the business plans. He did not confirm a connection between the firm and the contracts concluded by Romania with the Rheinmetall Group, worth 5.69 billion euros.

The German investigation also targets a former chief of staff of Hanning, suspected of having provided him with nearly 2,000 classified documents. The information, including data on Iran’s nuclear program and the Russian army, was allegedly used in private consulting activities. The network was uncovered after a search conducted in September 2025.