Friday, March 26, 2004
Church of Scientology suing
Chilliwack
resident who couldn't stop talking
The Church of Scientology is suing a Chilliwack, B.C.,
man for
more than $10-million for violating an agreement to remain silent about
the organization.
A trial is scheduled for April in California in which the Church says
Gerry Armstrong
made numerous Internet postings that breached the deal signed in 1986.
The deal
called for the Canadian to be fined $50,000 each time he spoke about
Scientology.
Mr. Armstrong, who worked closely with Scientology founder L. Ron
Hubbard in California,
admits that under the agreement, he was also paid $500,000 to hand back
documents
he took when he left the Church in 1981. He admits he has breached the
agreement
"hundreds of thousands of times," but in a document filed in
Marin County
Superior Court, adds he signed the deal under "shudder-
inducing" duress
and does not intend to abide by it. Church lawyer Andrew Wilson said the
amount
of money the Church paid Mr. Armstrong is closer to $800,000. "He
was paid
a lot of money and he now says he was under duress. But he took the
money,"
said Mr. Wilson, a California lawyer.