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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The 54-year-old allegedly acted on behalf of the Swiss intelligence service trying to uncover a series of thefts of CDs with data on suspected tax dodgers who held money in Swiss banks, according to German prosecutors. The former police officer is also believed to have planted a mole in the tax authorities – an accusation…
Lifting the curtain on the Swiss intelligence service
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The Swiss spy scandal has shone a spotlight on the Intelligence Service. We reveal what it gets up to – and who watches the watchers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.