Scientology admits to spying
Berlin's sect commissioner was followed and
photographed, on account of which he gave his sermon under police
protection
Der
Tagesspiegel
January 25, 2003
The Scientology Church has admitted to having put Thomas Gandow, sect
commissioner of the Berlin-Brandenburg Evangelical Church, under
surveillance. One of its
members was said to have been working for an attorney to investigate the
American
ex-Scientologist, Gerald Armstrong, who was wanted in court. There have
been various orders
issued on Armstrong in US courts, said Sabine Weber of Scientology
Germany. A
person would want to carry out these orders against Armstrong in Germany
in
accordance with international law. It was also intended to take legal
action against
him here in Germany to prohibit him from claiming that the Scientology
was out
to get him.
Last Sunday Gandow and Armstrong were tailed by at least two cars,
said
Gandow, to a church service in the Luisen Church in Charlottenburg. His
vehicle was
closely approached by one of them on the way from Brandenburg to Berlin.
The driver
swerved erratically while photographing Gandow and Armstrong.
The situation got tense enough to where he finally called the highway
patrol at Brandenburg for assistance. The police gave him a cautionary
fine for
unregulated use of a cell phone from a vehicle. The police escorted
Gandow's vehicle to
the city limits, where he received protection from Berlin police.
They also guarded the Luisen Church during the church service while
Armstrong talked about his experiences with Scientology. Gandow says he
observed a
second vehicle on the autobahn with at least three occupants who were
following and
photographing the same time the first was. The clergyman is certain that
those men also
had something to do with Scientology.
The Scientology Church Germany said the incident with its member was
apparently exaggerated into a "James Bond fantasy." The man
was said to have
be "held accountable according the the church's internal
disciplinary
system." The church service in the Luisen church was simply visited
by a Berlin
member of Scientology, and the woman was in charge of "local public
affairs
work and legal interests." Gandow was reported to have said that
the woman
had something to do with the management of Scientology's OSA "
intelligence
service." The woman was said to have taken down every word at the
church service.
The Scientologists accused Gandow and Armstrong of forcing their way
into the local "Scientology Mission" in Yekaterinburg while
they were
visiting Russia last December and
stealing papers. Gandow said that was not what had happened, and that
they had been invited in by the local Scientology board
members and had not taken any papers with them.
weso