Germany's cybersecurity chief was sacked on Tuesday after a TV show accused him of having a connection with Russian intelligence.
Following the discovery of an alleged connection with Russian intelligence by the television programme, Germany's interior minister announced the dismissal of the director of the nation's cybersecurity agency, Arne Schoenbohm, Bloomberg has reported.
According to the ministry spokeswoman, the charges in the study have irreversibly harmed the public's necessary trust in the neutrality and impartiality of the discharge of his duties, which is why Arne Schoenbohm was stripped of his authority as president of the Federal Cybersecurity Authority.
Arne's suspension may not be unconnected to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and relate to the current crisis situation with regard to Russian hybrid warfare.
The spokeswoman further stated that an investigation was ongoing and Schoenbohm would be presumed innocent of any wrongdoing until it was concluded.
Schoenbohm took over Germany’s BSI cybersecurity agency in February 2016 having previously worked at European defence company EADS and at DaimlerChrysler Aerospace.
A report by public broadcaster ZDF last week said that he was a co-founder of an association called Cybersecurity Council Germany. The group, which gathered government officials and experts from the private sector, had links with a former official of Russia’s KGB intelligence service, ZDF said.
The interior ministry did not say how long its investigation might take or whether it was seeking a replacement for Schoenbohm.