EU’s former ambassador to South Korea suspect in China spy probe

Sources name ex-diplomat after German authorities raid flats and offices on Wednesday

Investigation concerns alleged link with the Ministry of State Security, China’s top foreign intelligence unit

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Security sources said German authorities began their investigation last year. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 10:50am, 17 Jan 2020Updated: 3:26pm, 17 Feb 2020

Gerhard Sabathil, the European Union’s former ambassador to South Korea, has been identified as the subject of a German probe into alleged spying activities for China’s Ministry of State Security, according to three European sources.

The investigation, which has sent shock waves through Beijing, Berlin and Brussels, came to light after German authorities raided the flats and offices of Sabathil and two other individuals on Wednesday. German police have made no arrests. Sabathil could not immediately be reached for comment.

A dual citizen of Germany and Hungary, Sabathil left diplomacy in 2017 to join the European lobbying firm Eutop.

Eutop’s lawyer, Christian Schertz, said in an emailed response to the South China Morning Post’s questions: “Given that the circumstances described by you do not concern the activities of our client, we see no reason for our client to comment.”

German publication Focus Online reported on Wednesday that the German attorney general had withdrawn the application for an arrest warrant against the former diplomat.