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An officer in Germany’s army, the Bundeswehr, has been suspended after allegedly passing on the plans of more than 150 defence purchases to a lobbyist.
The story was first reported in the German news magazine Der Spiegel, which said that the unnamed frigate captain worked directly for the Ministry of Defence.
The list that was allegedly forwarded concerned planned purchases of weapons and equipment which ultimately made its way into the hands of an arms lobbyist.
The document was made public in September 2025 in reporting by Politico but the full list of 150 entries is said to have been classified.
When the list became public, the Ministry of Defence is said to have “immediately launched an investigation and identified a BMVg employee as a suspect,” a spokesperson told Die Zeit newspaper.
Criminal and disciplinary investigations are reportedly currently underway but further details about the incident have not been released.
The suspected offence is being referred to as betrayal of secrets. According to Der Spiegel, the case has been classified as so serious that the public prosecutor’s office was also called in alongside the ministry.
A warrant is said to have been issued to gain access to the officer’s private mobile phone and computer. Information about possible evidence on these devices is currently not available.
Betrayal of secrets
Betrayal of secrets is penalised differently depending on the type of secret and can be of a private, official or operational nature.
In one case in which internal information was leaked to the public by a police officer, the officer had to pay a fine. In particularly serious cases, suspension, dismissal and a prison sentence of several years are also possible.
In autumn 2025, Politico published an article on “Germany’s 337 billion euro military wish list.” According to that, the secret procurement plan aimed to modernise the country’s defence.
The news portal referred to a 39-page document that lists defence procurements worth €337 billion, spread across land, air, sea, space and cyberspace.
The naming of potential contractors is particularly controversial in over a hundred cases. According to Politico, around €182 billion were awarded to domestic German companies, with Rheinmetall named as the clear winner.