Germany drops spy case against Swiss secret serviceman
Paul Zinniker is second-in-command within the Federal Intelligence Service.
Keystone
The German authorities have closed the case against the deputy head of Switzerland’s secret service. Paul Zinniker had been accused of commissioning a spy to gather intelligence on Germany’s tax collectors.
Germany dropped the case in June because it was not possible to prove that Zinniker was guilty, a spokeswoman for the German federal prosecutor told the Swiss News Agency on Monday – following a report in Swiss Sunday newspaper NZZ am SonntagExternal link.
The espionage activity was related to so-called tax CDs with data on suspected tax dodgers keeping money in Swiss banks. In November 2017, the Swiss man was sentenced in Germany to a probationary sentence of 22 months and a fine of €40,000 (CHF45,047).
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