The Russian wiretapping of an Air Force conference call has caused a great stir. The Bundeswehr is now taking disciplinary action against the case.
The Inspector of the Air Force, Ingo Gerhartz, will be subject to a simple disciplinary measure following the telephone conversation about the Taurus cruise missile that was intercepted by Russia. The lieutenant general must therefore pay a disciplinary fine that will conclude the matter, as the German Press Agency in Berlin learned. This also excludes further sanctions according to the rules. The Defense Committee was informed of the decision yesterday.
A Russian intelligence service had intercepted a Webex call between four high-ranking officers of the Air Force. The recording was made public. The officers – including Gerhartz – had discussed deployment scenarios for the German cruise missile if the Taurus were to be delivered to Ukraine after all. The wiretapping attack was a topic of discussion beyond Germany at the beginning of March. The Ministry of Defense discovered that a Bundeswehr general in Singapore had been careless.
The Berlin public prosecutor’s office had already closed an investigation against Gerhartz in the case. A spokesman said that there was no initial suspicion. And: “In particular, there was no evidence of intentional action by the accused. Any carelessness could be relevant under disciplinary law, but as negligent action is not punishable.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
