Scientology bribery and extortion trial starts in Brussels

The trial of the Church of Scientology has begun in Brussels, 18 years after the prosecutor’s office first opened an investigation. Both the Belgian and the European branches of the church, as well as 12 leading executives, face charges of bribery, extortion and unlawful practice of medicine.

The organisation is recognised as a church in the US and the UK but not in Belgium, where it is included in a list of dangerous sects. The investigation started when a number of former members filed complaints. Eventually, the Brussels-Capital Region’s employment agency, Actiris, filed a complaint, citing the groups job vacancy listings. Applicants were being asked questions that breached privacy laws and, in some cases, the jobs turned out to be unpaid.

The Scientologists deny all charges, which they say are motivated by revenge on the part of former employees. “In every organisation you have people who are disappointed, who resign and who take action to express their discontentedness,” a spokesperson told De Morgen. The trial, he said, “is our chance to finally reply to the many accusations”.

The extent of local membership of the organisation is not known but is thought to be several hundred. According to a former treasurer, the office in Brussels used to take in €5,000 a month from the sale of books and training courses. The prosecution claims the organisation is entirely commercial in its objectives and extorted funds from its members.

Photo: The entrance to the Church of Scientology in the centre of Brussels