Recent intel scandal surrounding activities of Consul General of Germany in Lyon (France) Max Maldacker for foreign intelligence services is risking to escalate into an open confrontation between the involved departments. After Germany’s general public got shocked by the news that Maldacker had been working for the CIA as an agent for years, the Federal Intelligence Service got on top of it.
It should be reminded that materials showing the long-term activities of the Consul General of Germany for the US intelligence service were published on cyberguerilla.org (website of the Anonymous international group of hackers) some time ago. According to the anonymous source, Maldacker was a US agent of influence, who used his office to advance the interests of the USA in Europe.
And now, the revealed details of spying activities of the Consul General of Germany came into view of German intelligence services. The Federal Intelligence Service has announced its intention to investigate Maldacker’s case and requested the Federal Foreign Office of Germany to provide assistance and all necessary information about Mr. Maldacker, and furthermore, to suspend him from duty while the investigation lasts. It got known from a letter that officials of the Federal Intelligence Service sent to a certain Mr. Roth acting as a representative from the Federal Foreign Office. Source.
Dear Mr. Roth,
(Minister of State for Europe)
As you may know, information has become available that indicates that Consul General of Germany in Lyon (France) Max Josef Maldacker has been spying for the USA and giving classified information to the CIA for allegedly 20 years. We cannot ignore the published data as the national security of the State may be in danger. We also inform you that the authorities of the Federal Intelligence Service and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office have decided to create a special group and initiate investigative actions in respect of the person concerned.
In this regard, we turn to the Federal Foreign Office and ask it to cooperate fully with this investigation. In particular, it will be necessary to give us a complete dossier on Max Josef Maldacker, including his biographical data, the list of his contacts inside the country and abroad. During the period of the investigation, Mr. Maldacker should be suspended from his duty.
The Federal Intelligence Service recommends that the Federal Foreign Office should refrain from comments on Maldacker’s case.
It has not been known so far how the Federal Foreign Office reacts. But it is obvious that, due to certain sensitivity of the issue, the correspondence mentioned above has been conducted confidentially. However, it is known that previously the Department of Foreign Affairs was opposed to accusations against the Consul General and demanded to remove from the website the materials that the department believes to contain misleading information. But then the Federal Foreign Office refrained from any comments on this case. To all seeming, the investigation conducted by the intelligence services affects, to some extent, the interests of the Federal Foreign Office that prefers not to ‘wash dirty linen in public’. There is a possibility that in future some undisclosed circumstances of Maldacker’s case may constitute a stumbling block for relations between the two departments.
