Zurich, Switzerland
September 28, 2000
BeobachterOdette Jaccard - Fuchs, Chairman of the AGSD (Aufklaerungsgemeinschaft ueber Scientology und Dianetik) Zurich, passed away on September 26, 2000.
On Saturday, September 23, 2000, Odette was honored in Zurich by the Swiss "Beobachter" newspaper for her civil courage and her information work. She accepted the honor in a wheelchair. It was an important day - a small thank-you for her socio-political work and her last appearance in public.
A Matter for Domestic Intelligence
Politician calls upon ScientologistsFrom: "Badische Neueste Nachrichten"
May 7, 1998by a member of our editorial staff, Achim Winkel
Zurich/Stuttgart. Susanne Haller, the Swiss canton politician from Basel, who is possibly responsible for the arrest of a German intelligence agent from Baden-Wurttemberg on April 8 in Basel by the Swiss federal police after a meeting with a Scientology critic, apparently has good contact with the controversial organization. Jurg Stettler, speaker for Scientology in Zurich, told the BNN that Susanne Haller had already gotten in touch with him in March. He said the reason for the contact had been a public discussion at which Mrs. Haller as well as Ursula Caberta, the sect critic from Hamburg, were to attend. Mrs. Haller had called him (Stettler) up and told him that she wanted to speak with him. However, he said that a meeting never took place.
After the arrest of the German agent, Susanne Haller contacted him again, continued Stettler. First she said that she had known nothing of the observation of the German agent by the Swiss police. Later on she said that she had orchestrated the whole thing. Stettler's words were, "In less than 24 hours, Susanne Haller completely changed her story."
Stettler conceded that he has had difficulties with Mrs. Haller's assessments of his organization. Sometimes she would appear as a hardliner and "want to drive Scientology out of Switzerland," sometimes she would say that she wanted to "protect Scientologists."
Stettler hopes to gain some information from the proceedings against the German agent, in which Scientology appears as a co-accuser against the man. The proceedings are supposed to take place in Basel. That can be taken as an indication that Switzerland wants to keep things on an even keel even though there is considerable disagreement between the two countries for the time being. 25,000 Swiss franks bail had to be posted for the release of the German agent. He also had to obligate himself to appearing at the proceedings in Switzerland.
Stettler vehemently denies any involvement of his organization in the placement of the trap in which the agent was caught, and for which questions still remain today. "If we had been a part of the operation, I would have even been a little bit proud of it," he said.
The arrest in Basel followed a months-long secret operation.
Was the spy acting on his own?By our correspondent Hans-Walter Neunzig
Basel. A German domestic intelligence agent from Baden-Wurttemberg met with two Swiss women who he thought were going to support him in his work against the Scientology organization. His arrest was, to say the least, painful. From what we have heard from Stuttgart, it could be concluded that the Heidi-spy was led into a trap. New information from Switzerland puts the whole thing in a somewhat different light.
The fax bore the serial number of 1509 on the letterhead of the State Office of Constitutional Protection of Baden-Wurttemberg [domestic intelligence]. It was sent out October 30 of last year. The addressee was Odette Jaccard, the chairperson of the Zurich Information Group on Scientology and Dianetics. It was the start of a secret operation by German intelligence against the Scientology sect in Switzerland, which, in contrast to Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria, does not have the sect under surveillance.
The goal of the operation was to discover contacts between the Swiss and Baden-Wurttemberg Scientology organizations. The intelligence agent assumed that Scientology activities in the south German region were being directed by the Basel "Org." "In reference to that I would like to suggest that you send me course completion lists of the Scientology Orgs of Basel and Zurich for the time frame of 1992 to 1997," wrote case worker Fuchs to the sect opponent, "Your statements will, of course, be treated confidentially. Any expenses you incur will be recompensed from here."
The operation ended abruptly in Basel on April 6. German intelligence agent Peter Gobel, undercover name "Goller", was taken into custody after a meeting with Odette Jaccard and Susanne Haller, who was known as a canton parliamentarian, Social Democrat, and Scientology opponent. He had travelled to Switzerland to make contact with Odette Jaccard.
Susanne Haller, who took part in the meeting at the suggestion of the German agent, had had second thoughts. She had already informed the Basel District Attorney's Office about the intelligence operation in advance. Papers made available to the Baden newspaper prove that the meeting in the Hotel Victoria was not solely of an informational nature. Agent "Goller" had volatile material in his pack: internal minutes from management meetings of the Basel Scientology organization, campaign plans, instructions for members concerning anti-Scientology meetings. These are papers which the Stuttgart intelligence agent is said to have given to both of the women
The means "Goller" used to get his material is not known to her, says Susanne Haller, the Basel council member. However, "Goller" had not just traveled to Switzerland to hand over documents. He had a definite assignment for the two Scientology opponents. At his behest, they were to drive to a meeting of a worldwide Scientology organization to be held on May 1 in Rothrist at the Hotel Ibis and copy down license plate numbers. This was a request that Haller, according to her statement, refused without hesitation. She called an end to the meeting, and told "Goller" to leave so that she could talk with Jaccard.
The German agent found a dedicated friend in Odette Jaccard, a passionate opponent of the Scientology sect. According to our research, last year she handed over an extensive 62 page list of names, addresses, professions and organization rank of more than 1,600 alleged Scientologists in Switzerland - the result of her diligent work. Besides Susanne Haller, an attorney for the independent Zurich sect information center (Infosecta) had also warned her about giving data to a foreign intelligence service.
Had Susanne Haller lured the Stuttgart agent into a trap by changing the meeting place from Weil am Rhein in Germany to Basel, Switzerland? "No," she says decisively. A meeting on the German side never entered the discussion. "That was covered by my chief," "Goller" was said to have reassured her when she pointed out, on April 6, the illegality of his mission.
After the arrest, the local head of the German intelligence, Helmut Rannacher, had also said that the meeting was originally scheduled to take place in Germany. His statement led to a flurry of communications between Bonn and Berne. Susanne Haller thinks that improbable. "I talked with him on the telephone, and he said that he knew of the meeting in Switzerland," she said.
"Goller" was apprehended and spent three uncomfortable days in a holding cell in Berne. He was released only after bail was posted and he promised to show up for due legal process. The proceedings concerning illicit intelligence activity are to be held in Basel. Final decision is reserved by Arnold Koller, the Swiss Secretary of Justice. "The whole matter also has a political side," prophesies the Basel correspondent.
German/Swiss Agreement
Police know no bordersFreiburg (pk). In the future, police officers from either Germany or Switzerland will be permitted to pursue suspected perpetrators across their border, or be able to conduct undercover investigations in their neighboring country. If danger is imminent, the officers need not have applied previously for legal assistance.
This is a proposal in a German/Swiss treaty, in which representatives of both nations have been participating for the past three days in Freiburg. In addition, a computer network is planned in which data on stolen weapons, cars and identification, as well as data on persons wanted for questioning are stored in commonly accessible areas. Both countries want to hold regularly scheduled security meetings between each other to discuss salient points in their fight against crime. Police officers from Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, and the Swiss border cantons are to cooperate in combined missions.
The German/Swiss law enforcement agreement goes far beyond that of the Schengen Agreement between the European Union countries. Switzerland was prepared to make extensive concessions because they did not wish to become a "small island" of retreat for international criminals surrounded by countries covered by the Schengen Agreement.
The goal of the international treaty is an uncomplicated, fast, direct and non-bureaucratic exchange of information on crimes and criminals, explained Mr. Schneider, the negotiations director for the Baden-Wurttemberg delegation in a conversation with the Baden newspaper.
In the estimation of police in Germany and Switzerland, the upcoming agreement is a model solution. Berne has already made a law enforcement agreement with France. Negotiations are in effect with the neighboring countries of Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein.