Extree! Extree! Read all about it: French make CoS croak!

While the halls of Flag Land Base are abuzz with the lastest news (LRH liked tasty sticks of chewing gum) the rest of the world has turned its attention towards France and the exploits of those boys in grey suits and understated, yet playful, ties; The French Untouchables. Money may talk but the CoS has learned it doesn't speak French. Hat's off to the Untouchables for refusing to accept the CoS's "narcodollars".

Stephen Jones

• what follows is a repost of report originally posted by E.Marin-

First here is the French reference : "L'Evenement du Jeudi", 7-13 Dec 95, p. 57, "The cult didn't pay its taxes. Scientology : it is liquidated", written by Serge Faubert.

Here is an almost word-to-word translation :

"Since last Tuesday, the Church of Scientology of Paris - HQ of the cult in France - is being liquidated. On June 9^th 1994, the CoS, which had refused to pay the 60 MFF it owed to the French "IRS" and the "URSSAF" [in short, the administration in charge of collecting the taxes for the French health care system - EM], is ordered by the Paris court of justice devoted to the commercial affairs, to pay the taxes. Both the French IRS and the URSSAF indeed claimed the CoS did commercial affairs under the mask of a religion. Two previous trials had already concluded the Fr. IRS and the URSSAF were right to claim so, in 1992 and in 1993. But the Church was relunctant to pay, so both organism asked for this last trial.

At first, the CoS is not impressed. This year's 3^rd April, the US branch of the CoS propose to buy the French branch. They propose to pay 10 MF and to create a commercial company with another 10 MF of funds. The Fr. IRS, which wants to perceive the whole 60 MF, refuses. On this year's 5^th October, the CoS agree to pay 22 MF immediately and to give a bail for the rest. The court gives them until the 9^th of November to do so. On this day, the CoS representatives, along with 5 advocates, gives two checks : one of 5,6 MF, which is the sum the CoS agree to pay, and the other of 42,6 MF, which is the sum it disputes. But there is a big problem : the checks are made by the Krediet Bank in Luxembourg. An authorization from the French administration "Tresor Public" is then needed. But this administration refuses : the secret about bank accounts in Luxembourg forbids to know the origin of the funds. It can be 'good money' as well as narcodollars... The cult knows about this problem, since a reference is made to it in one of its letters to the court. But it hopes, by showing the checks to the court, that it will be given the excuse of "good faith" and that it will win some time. They messed it up. Tired of such manoeuvres, the trial has ordered, on the 30rd of November, the payment of the back taxes of the Paris CoS. Last 18^th October, the Riom court had already ordered the payment of the back taxes of the Clermont-Ferrand CoS [C-F and Riom are towns in the center of France - EM]. A judicial Trafalgar... [as seen from the French point of view, obviously ! :-)

]"

Emmanuel Marin

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