Khabarovsk sect chief convicted for money laundering

Itar - Tass News Wire/June 27, 2001

Khabarovsk -- Olga Ukhova, director of the regional Dianetics scientology centre, has been sentenced to six years imprisonment conditionally for illegal entrepreneurship and money laundering in particularly large amounts.

Ukhova professes to be a follower of Ron Hubbard, the founder of the teaching of dianetics and scientology. Criminal proceedings lasted more than one year. It has been proved by investigators and during court session hearings that the scientology centre did not limit itself to "enlightenment" but also impaired people morally, materially and physically.

The Dianetics centre emerged in Khabarovsk when scientology had already been recognised as a disruptive sect movement in Germany, France, Sweden and other European countries. Ron Hubbard did not conceal that his ideas make it possible to turn people into slaves.

In Moscow in 1998, the Ostankino court had recognised as illegal the entrepreneurial activities of Hubbard's followers and their centre in the capital of Russia had been wound up.