Brussels – The European Union’s diplomatic service has launched an internal investigation against a former German senior official suspected of spying for China, a spokeswoman said on Friday.
The man is also under investigation in Germany, along with two employees of a German lobbying firm.
“We are initiating an internal investigation to review possible wrongdoings by the person concerned during his time in the [EU diplomatic] service as well as after that,’’ EU foreign policy spokeswoman Virginie Battu said.
The individual, a former EU ambassador to South Korea, lost his security clearance in 2015, when Germany refused to renew it, Battu said.
As a result, he was recalled to Brussels, the following year, he left the EU foreign service and began working for a lobbying firm.
The move was approved by the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s diplomatic corps, Battu added.
Former EEAS officials have a two-year cooling off period during which they must seek express permission for any new job.
Germany’s Spiegel news magazine had initially reported on the case.
The man is suspected of having passed information to the Chinese Ministry of State Security.
(dpa/NAN)
