MOSCOW (Sputnik) — German Public Prosecutor General said on Wednesday it had filed espionage charges against a citizen of Switzerland detained in April.
"On August 8, the Prosecution General's Office filed charges of espionage in the Supreme Land Court of Frankfurt am Main against 54-year-old Swiss citizen Daniel M. over suspicion of being an intelligence agent," the prosecution said in a statement, adding that the suspect had been in pre-trial detention since April 28.
The suspect received a total of 13,000 euro ($15,208), transferring 10,000 to his partner in the state of Hesse, the prosecution said, adding that he was also transferring money to his source in the financial agency of North Rhine-Westphalia – a total of 90,000 euro. Some of this money was pocketed by Daniel M. and his partner from Hesse, the statement clarified.
On Sunday, German media reported, citing their sources, that the Public Prosecutor General launched an investigation in August against three Swiss nationals, reportedly linked to the case of Daniel M., over allegedly spying on German tax authorities. The justice ministry refused to confirm the reports.
Following the arrest of Daniel M., Berlin and Bern signed a memorandum of understanding implying that both sides will give up spying against each other and coordinate their actions when acting against a third party.
