French parties flooded with Mahikari's money?

Le Soir/October 27, 1998

By André Riche

Mahikari sect has eight centres (or "dojos") in France. Among them, the centre of Nice is one of the most important and during our investigations we discovered its 1993 and 1994 accountancy. Amazing !

We can note that the sect received 2.5 millions of French Francs (15 millions of Belgian francs) from the member fees in 1993. But not only is the sect receiving money, it also distributes it, namely to political parties. So, according to the accountant statement for 1993, the Mahikari section of Nice gave 100.000 FF to the PS (Socialist Party*); also 100.000 FF to the town hall of the VIth "arrondissement" (kind of district) of Paris, 50.000 FF with the mention "Nice/Pey" which seems to indicate the current mayor of Nice, Jacque Peyrat (RPR, party of the President, Jacques Chirac*) then in opposition but who became mayor and member of parliament; 50.000 FF to the UDF (*another right-wing party); and especially the big amount of 400.000 FF to the Cousteau fundation. Each time, they are considered as "donations".

In 1994, the volume of member fee is highly increasing : 9.473.130 FF (almost 57 millions of Belgian francs); the volume of donations is also going up. The PS (Socialist party) receives twice the amount of 1993 : 200.000 FF. "Nice/Pey" 700.000 FF (more than 4 millions of our francs!). The Cousteau fundation for its part still receives 400.000 FF. In 1994, almost 30 millions of French Francs also went to the Luxemburg, but this money is often conveyed to other countries.

Neither the Nice town hall, nor the French PS or Sukyo Mahikari we contacted yesterday, have denied the information yet. However, the Cousteau fundation "is absolutely and firmly denying". It is not to be excluded that the sect tries to deceive using the buoyant ecological label as other sects do.

This article obtained from Mahikari Under investigation In Europe