The German Interior Ministry fired the head of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) Arne Schönbom – he is suspected of having links with Russian intelligence services. Spiegel writes about this with reference to sources.
The Home Office immediately released the head of the BSI and launched a disciplinary investigation.
The fact that the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country, Nancy Feather, is going to dismiss Schönbom, Spiegel and Handelsblatt , citing interlocutors in the government, was reported in early October. All because of the broadcast of the ZDF Magazin Royale program – there was information about the connection between the Russian special services and the organization "Cyber Security Council of Germany" (Cyber-Sicherheitsrat Deutschland). Its co-founder was Schönbom, who was also its head until 2016. In addition to him, the council included Huawei, the German energy giants Eon, EnBW and Vatenfall, the German Ministry of Health and the police union.
The council also included cybersecurity company Infotecs GmbH, which changed its name to Protelion in the spring. This is the "daughter" of the Russian Infotecs. Its founder, according to the research network Policy Network Analytics, used to work in one of the KGB units. We are talking about the CEO of Infotecs Andrey Chapchaev.
According to Handelsblatt, Schönbom was advised several times to distance himself from the council, after which he instructed the employees of his department "not to appear with representatives of the association."
In the spring, due to ties with Russia, ex-Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder lost some of his privileges. The budget committee decided to cut funding for Schroeder's office and abolish his staff. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also urged Schroeder to leave his posts in Russian state-owned companies. At the end of May, Schroeder resigned from the board of directors of Rosneft and announced "the impossibility of extending his powers" in office – he was threatened with sanctions. In August, Schroeder sued the Bundestag.