A German citizen has been arrested on suspicion of being a double agent and spying for the United States.<br /><br /> The 31-year-old man, who is understood to work for Germany’s own BND intelligence service, is accused of spying on a German parliamentary inquiry into revelations made by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.<br /><br /> German government spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said: “This is a very serious incident. That is why the Federal State Prosecutor has become involved. Spying for foreign intelligence services is not something that we treat lightly. But it is a matter for the Federal State Prosecutor and the investigating Federal Criminal Office now – and it is in very good hands.”<br /><br /> According to German media, the man was originally arrested on suspicion of making contact with Russian intelligence, but then confessed he was in fact spying for the Americans.<br /><br /> Social Democrat Thomas Oppermann said: “Under no circumstances is it justifiable that a world power or a country -especially not our friends, the United States – would recruit BND employees to spy on the work of the German parliamentary NSA investigation committee.”<br /><br /> The incident is the latest in a string of spying scandals that have strained relations between Berlin and Washington.<br /><br /> They include revelations that the US National Security Agency was monitoring Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone and carrying out mass surveillance of German citizens.<br /><br /> If the case is proven it could turn into the biggest scandal involving a German – American double agent since the war.
