German cybersecurity chief Arne Schoenbohm sacked over alleged Russia ties

Accusations that he had contact with Russian secret services have ‘permanently damaged the necessary public trust’ amid concerns over the threat from Moscow

Schoenbohm is ‘presumed innocent’, but has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect while the allegations are investigated

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Arne Schoenbohm, president of the German Cyber Security Authority, presents a report in Berlin in October 2020. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:10am, 19 Oct 2022Updated: 3:03am, 19 Oct 2022

Germany’s cybersecurity chief was sacked on Tuesday after a television satire show accused him of having ties to Russian intelligence services, with the country on high alert over potential sabotage activities by Moscow.

Arne Schoenbohm, head of the Federal Cyber Security Authority (BSI), had been at the centre of intense speculation since the popular show accused him in early October of contacts with Russia.

He has now been relieved of his duties “with immediate effect”, an interior ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, citing “the allegations revealed and widely discussed in the media” as one of the reasons behind the move.

The allegations “have permanently damaged the necessary public trust” in Schoenbohm as head of the authority, the spokesman said. “This is all the more true in the current crisis situation regarding Russian hybrid warfare,” he added.

Last week, the rail network in the north of the country was temporarily paralysed by what operator Deutsche Bahn called “sabotage”, with some officials pointing the finger at Russia. Photo: dpa via AP

Schoenbohm was accused in the satire show on broadcaster ZDF of contacts with Russian secret services through an association he co-founded in 2012 known as the Cyber Security Council Germany.