The leakage of highly classified information has been charged against the former Danish intelligence chief.

Prosecutors allege that Lars Findsen “disclosed state secrets and other particularly confidential information to six people including two journalists.”

According to Findsen, the leaked material was a result of Findsen’s time at Denmark’s Defence Intelligence Service (which he assumed control of in 2015).

After being suspended in August 2020, he was detained in December 2018 for alleged leaks. He was remanded to custody in January.

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Jakob Berger Nielsen, the Prosecutor, stated in a Friday statement that it was serious when confidential information or secrets, which are essential to the intelligence services’ work to protect Denmark, is given to outsiders.

It can cause damage to the business relationships of intelligence services’ business partners, and it can make their work more difficult if their working methods become public. This is just like the loss of trust in intelligence services for sensitive information.

These charges are the result of a “long, extensive investigation” by police as well as Denmark’s intelligence and national security agency, The Police Intelligence Service (which Findsen led previously from 2002 to 2007).

The details of the charges are not known as the case was closed to the public.

Findsen previously claimed his innocence and called the situation “complete insanity”.

He stated that he wanted the charges to be brought forward and that he pleaded not guilty during a January hearing in Copenhagen.

If Findsen is found guilty, the prosecution will request that a minimum of four years imprisonment be imposed. The date of the trial, which is likely to close to the public, has not been confirmed.

Between his work for the Police Intelligence Service (Danish Defence Intelligence Service) and Findsen’s head of department, Findsen was promoted to the Ministry of Defence’s Head of Department.