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I, Maria Pia
Gardenia declare as follows:
1. I am over
the age of 18 years.
2. The statements
herein are of my own personal knowledge and if called upon as a
witness, I can testify competently thereto.
3. My name
is Maria Pia Gardini. I am an Italian citizen.
4. I became
involved in Scientology through the Narconon program. My daughter
went into the program and at this time she gave me some books to
read about Scientology. After 8 months or so she finished her program
and told me she wanted to continue studying Scientology. My mother
and I paid for her auditing up to OT VII.
5. After she
was on the OT levels, she convinced me to meet some of the people
in the Rome org. They convinced me to do the purification rundown
and to try auditing, so I bought one intensive of "book one"
auditing.
6. I started
the purification rundown: on the second day I blew (left suddenly)
the sauna. I was scared to death of being in the heat for four to
five hours. I was 49 years old and felt I would die. Members of
the org came to my home and convinced me to return and keep doing
it. They said I was just going through something and if I continued,
I would get out of it. So, I returned and finished the rundown.
I quickly told them I was done, and I was done.
7. I then started
the auditing. My father was dead and I had always been sad about
his death. When I started auditing, my auditor was a very warm and
kind woman and we audited almost the whole 12 hours that I had purchased
on my father's death. I went through a lot of emotions talking about
his death, crying and laughing and at the end I did feel better.
8. I then decided
to continue. I wanted to buy another intensive, but I was regged
to buy 10 intensives more of book one auditing. Meanwhile, they
also sold me an academy package so I could study to myself become
an auditor. Soon, I was getting auditing 3-4 hours a day and studying
an additional several hours a day.
9. When I attested
the completion of book one, I was told I had to continue to handle
the many more areas of my life. I then bought all the Scientology
Grades auditing plus NED (New Era Dianetics.)
10. I started
on the objectives. This was the first failure for me. Doing a drill
called "Op Pro by Dup" involving repetitive actions with
a book and bottle, I became so upset I threw the bottle at my auditor
and tore up the book used in the auditing. The auditor had to physically
restrain me to keep me in the room.
11. Before
I had just done auditing where I had talked a lot, so of course
one will feel better talking about their problems. Now, this was
something different.
12. I ended
up slapping the auditor and running from the room. I ran home and
that evening four staff members came to get me. They explained to
me that I had lost control and if I finished the auditing I would
regain control. I returned with them and finished the auditing.
13. I then
audited the Grades 0-IV. I did not have any great achievements during
these. It was just sit there and listen and talk to the auditor.
I told the C/S that I didn't have any "wins" on this (I
in fact told everyone this), but they reminded me that I had had
a lot of wins before on my book one and the grades were just to
stabilize me for my OT levels. They told me to just continue.
14. Then, they
tried to audit me on NED, but after all the hours of book one I
was desperate.I had already talked about everything! I became sick
and was interviewed by someone who said I had to do the CCRD. I
had paid for 12 ½ hours of NED and audited for 25 minutes.
When I tried to get the money back for these unused hours they said
no, I paid for the intensive and I had started it. So that was the
end of that money (about $2000.)
15. I then
went to Rome and while I was there a "mission" arrived
from CLO Italy to recruit people into the Sea Organization (SO.)
They wanted me to join and worked very hard on me. I agreed and
they gave me a contract for 1 billion years.
16. In the
mean time I had done the class IV internship. They now wanted me
to start in the SO, but I wanted to go attest to clear first. I
bought CCRD in Copenhagen AOSH and went to do it. I was told, because
I was a Sea Org member the room and board would be free. When I
arrived, I was told "Free? CLO Italy doesn't have any money
on account here." I had to pay for myself.
17. They put
me in a hotel that was owned by the church called "Nordland."
It was like a pigsty; so dirty. I found one room that was less dirty
than the others and did not have other people in it.
18. At this
point I was now a class V auditor. It was terrible in Copenhagen.
I was given an auditor who was Swiss German who did not speak Italian,
but something similar. I started eligibility with him and the session
went on and on and on because I could not understand him. I was
supposed to stay there two weeks but was there two months. Then,
I was told I had to buy more intensives. I explained the language
problem, so they switched auditors. He spoke good Italian, so I
finished eligibility in two hours then moved to the CCRD. I then
attested to clear.
19. Clear is
supposed to be an expanded person. I did not feel this. I really
wanted badly to go back to Italy. When I did go back, I simply changed
suitcases and went to Milano to train for the Sea Org.
20. Now, I
was put in the kitchen to cook for 70 staff members. This was terrible.
Then, they wanted me to wash dishes. I said no. I never have washed
dishes in my life. I had my car there so I left again. I went back
home for 2 days before they came and got me. This whole time my
daughter was progressing in Scientology. She was at Flag and I was
afraid that they would tell her I was misbehaving and she would
be upset with me. So, I went back. When I went back, they told me
I was done with the first phase of my training.
21. I then
told them I had to go back to Rome to close up the house. In Rome,
there was another mission to get people to do the OT levels in Copenhagen.
I bought a package for OT I-III. I wrote for permission to do these
levels instead of going to work. I received this permission and
went to Copenhagen to do my OT levels.
22. While I
was doing my levels in Copenhagen, I was paying my own room and
board and then they asked me to start auditing their pcs.
I HAVE EDITED
OUT REFERENCES MADE TO CONFIDENTIAL OT MATERIALS HERE
44. While I
had been auditing, there was a raid in Italy and all of the organizations
were closed. When I returned to Italy after OT V, the entire org
of Roma had moved into my apartment (they had called me in Copenhagen
and asked to move into my apartment.) I had instructed my building
superintendent to let them in but to not give them a key. They somehow
got a key and made a copy anyway. They were there all the time.the
whole building was protesting.
45. So, when
I returned, I made them leave. I found them another apartment and
paid for the first two months of rent. It took five days for a cleaning
company to clean my apartment, it was such a mess.
46. Now, I
went to CLO in Milano to work. They were working in a hotel because
they had lost their building to the government. I wondered what
the hell I was doing there. I had no job to do. We had Int (International
Management) missions in to handle the problems while I was paying
the hotel for everyone in CLO. I figured I would go on to do OT
VI and OT VII. One of my seniors thought this would be good for
me to do. At this moment, I was running out of money. So, to do
these levels I sold my apartment in Rome. My mother was very, very
angry with this. She told me I was crazy and they will ruin me.
She was right.
47. Now, I
come to Flag. Again, I was supposed to get room and board because
I was a staff member. Bah. No room and board! I have again to pay
for myself.
I HAVE EDITED
OUT REFERENCES MADE TO CONFIDENTIAL OT MATERIALS HERE
52. I never
went to my home to audit; I stayed at the Sand Castle and audited
for 8 months. When I wasn't auditing I studied to be a class IX
auditor and was auditing public pcs.
53. When I
attested to OT VII, Captain Ron Norton called me. I was validated
as being a class IX auditor and OT VII completion. What the hell
was I going to do with it? They asked me to sign on to work at Flag
and they would send another auditor to Italy to replace me. I told
them to call my senior.
54. In Italy
they were still trying to open up the orgs. My senior did agree,
though I said I had to go back to Italy to finish up and prepare.
I did this.
55. When I
arrived to start working at Flag, I was told that they would put
me in the Sand Castle hotel because there is no room at the Hacienda.
The Sand Castle was dirty and had unbelievable cockroaches.
56. They told
me I had to pay 10% of what a public would pay, since it was a public
room. When they took me to the room there was no furniture, no bed
nothing. I complained but was told it was too late at night to do
anything. I was told to sleep in a chair. I said no, I just arrive
after 10 hours of travel. It was February 8 and cold. I ended up
sleeping on the carpet.
57. The next
day I refused to go to work unless I received a bed. They then showed
me a bed that had been outside in the garden; they were going to
throw it away. It was so dirty I would not put my dog on that mattress.
It had holes where rats had eaten it. I absolutely refused. I told
them I would start work on Monday. I went to the store and bought
myself a bed, blankets, chair and sheets. I had it all brought to
the Sand Castle.
58. After one
month, I was told they had a place in the Hacienda Gardens for me.
So, I put my stuff together and they took me to the Hacienda. When
they opened the door, I plugged my nose it stunk so badly. There
were eight beds one atop of the other. At this point I said take
me to the captain.
59. I went
to the Captain and told him I will not live like this. I want to
go back to Italy. He said no, we have a small apartment in the Hacienda
that we rent. We will give it to you for half price. I agreed to
this and paid $400 per month (this turned out to be full price.)
60. Now, I
moved into this apartment. At the end of the first month, five other
people were sleeping in this apartment. They were putting staff
members in my paid for apartment. These people would eat my food
and drink my water. I returned to the captain.
61. I said
enough is enough. You broke all your promises and I want to go home.
The captain told me to return to the Hacienda, wait three days and
he will come visit me and we will take care of this.
62. In the
mean time, I called an area realtor and arranged to purchase a condominium.
By the time I met with the captain, I had my new home. At first,
he told me no, I couldn't stay off the base. I said it was this
or nothing. He told me to write a CSW, which I did, and he approved
it. Thus, I had special permission to live outside of sea org quarters.
63. So, I started
to audit again. Then, there was a change of captains. Ron Norton
went to Gold and Debbie Cook became the captain. This was in 1988.
When Debbie Cook became captain, my real problems started.
64. First,
she wanted me to move back to the Hacienda, or she insisted that
I share my condo with other staff members. I told her no to both.
At this time, I was almost every week the auditor with the most
hours in the chair and that year I won the worldwide highest auditing
hours cup at the Auditors Day celebration. At this point, I was
a money making machine for them.
65. I was always
on the chair auditing. In September of 1990 I received a phone call
from Italy saying my daughter was in the hospital in Pavia in Italy
and I had to go to her at once. I CSW'd to go see her and it was
approved.
66. I returned
to Italy and two months later, my daughter died: November 18, 1990.
She was 29 years old and an OT VII.
67. A bit before
I left, however, I asked the senior C/S, Kathy Webb, to give me
a program to audit my daughter because she was OT VII. This was
to help her physically. The answer was, with AIDS, she will die.
What program do you want? Give her a program to drop the body. Of
course, I never did such a process on her. You don't go to a sick
person and say, "I give you a program to drop your body."
68. Also in
1989 or 1990 they started releasing OT VIII. I was told to buy a
package on the Freewinds because this is the only place OT VIII
was delivered due to its extreme confidentiality. I bought a package,
but then I went to Italy because of my daughter.
69. Two days
after my daughter's death, I took her to the cemetery to bury her
in our family mausoleum. On this day, I was recalled to Flag. My
daughter was not yet buried. Flag phoned me and spoke to my mother,
who told them to fuck off and leave me alone and forget my phone
number. She was heavily against Scientology.
70. When I
spoke with them I told them my daughter had left a daughter of 11
years old, Camilla, and I could not leave imMediately. The called
me every day, several times a day to get me to come back imMediately.
They called with no regard to the 6-hour time difference between
the USA and Italy. They would call at 4:00 a.m. and wake up the
whole house of grieving people to demand my return.
71. On the
29th of November, 11 days after my daughter's death, I returned
to Flag. I left my granddaughter with her stepfather and my mother.
When I returned to Flag I was very angry and the staff at Flag were
astonished at this. They could not understand why I would be mad.
I then went right back to work, but I was not able to produce as
well as I had before. Because of this, they decided to send me to
the ship to do my OT VIII.
72. The ship
was in the Bahamas. I had to buy my own ticket to get there. When
I arrived, I also had to pay for my own room and board. I didn't
want to sleep in the staff berthing below decks, as it was extremely
hot down there, like 100 degrees. I could not do this. As soon as
I arrived, instead of starting my own program I was put to work
auditing others on their sec check for OT VII and OT VIII eligibility.
I was very valuable to them as I could audit in three languages:
English, Italian, and French.
73. Soon after
I arrived, Milt Wolf, one of the ship captains, and David Light,
a registrar, sat with me and regged me to buy books and materials.
They also sold me a gold OT bracelet that cost thousands of dollars.
They sat with me and would not let me go until I had bought and
bought. I ended up buying an extra suitcase to carry all the materials
I had bought. Eventually, I arrived in the course room to start
OT VIII.
I HAVE EDITED
OUT REFERENCES MADE TO CONFIDENTIAL OT MATERIALS HERE
78. The night
I attested to OT VIII, I went ashore with some friends to see the
casino in Nassau. Guess who was gambling there? David Miscavige,
Guillame Leserve and Ray Mithoff. Isn't gambling an overt in Scientology?
When I saw this, I was ready to leave Scientology. (EDITED FOR OT
MATERIAL) I wanted to leave, but this was very difficult.
79. When I
was finished (ot8), (this was December 1990) I returned to Flag.
Now, I was trying to figure out how to leave Scientology. The occasion
came in October 1991 when I received a call that my mother was in
hospital and very, very sick. Now, I could return to Italy.
80. I CSW'd
to leave. My CSW was NOT approved. I went to the Captain to talk
to her and she told me no, it was not important that my mother was
dying. It was only a body. I must stay at Flag and produce for Scientology.
81. I again
CSW'd to leave. Instead of giving it to the Captain, I gave it to
my DofP (Director of Processing) for OT eligibility. Then, I went
to my condo, packed my suitcase, went to the airport, bought a ticket
and went to Italy.
82. I thought
I would be declared a blow, but after four days in Italy I received,
by fax, the CSW I had written. It was approved. My mother died December
11, 1991.
83. On the
21st of December, Flag started regging me for the money I was inheriting
from my mother's death. Please see my other affidavit for the completion
of this story.
I declare under
penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America
and the state of Florida that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed in
Grosetto, Italy this 14th day of February 2001
Maria Pia Gardini
Declaration
of Maria Pia Gardini
I, Maria Pia
Gardini declare as follows:
1. I am over
the age of 18 years.
2. The statements
herein are of my own personal knowledge and if called upon as a
witness, I can testify competently thereto.
3. My name
is Maria Pia Gardini. I am an Italian citizen. The Flag Service
Organization defrauded me of $1,000,000 while I was working on their
staff as a highly trained Class IX auditor.
4. On the 21st
of December, 1991, Tito Mazza, who was the Flag Service I/C [in
charge] in Italy, and Marco Puggelli, who was a Flag FSM [field
staff member], came to my home in Italy seeking a donation for a
Class VIII project at Flag. Shortly after they arrived, Debbie Cook,
the Commanding Officer for the Flag Service Organization in Clearwater,
Florida, called on the telephone concerning this same project. She
told me the cost of executing the program was 2 million dollars
U.S. and she wanted me to finance the entire project. I told her
I would never give them 2 million dollars whereupon she said she
knew I would inherit a large sum of money from my mother's death
just 10 days before and felt I should give them the money. I continued
to say no and asked them to leave. They would not but stayed and
continued badgering me. Finally, one of them took me into a side
room and told me if I just gave them a check to prove to the Captain
of Flag that I was a good scientologist they would leave. They repeatedly
told me I should be a good scientologist and give them the money.
I was also at this time very vulnerable. My daughter had died one
year before and my mother had now died 10 days before. I was alone
in the world. I finally gave them a check for $30,000 and they left.
At that point I told them not to return asking me for money.
5. The morning
after, my maid came into my bedroom and told me there were two people
sleeping in a car in my garden. I got dressed and went to see who
it was. There I found two sea org members whom I recognized as working
for Flag and the Flag Ship Service Org. When I approached the car
to tell them they could not come into my garden in the middle of
the night, they got out of the car and asked me for coffee. I took
them into the house and gave them coffee. They then fell asleep
in my home. Around ten o'clock, I received a phone call from Debbie
Cook, who told me I had not given enough money and I needed to give
more to the two staff members at my home. She went on and on about
the project needing my help, that Italy was really down and it could
be the first Clear country etc. Finally, I gave another $50,000.
6. In Spring
of 1992, I returned to Flag. The day after I arrived, I went back
to work as an auditor in the Sand Castle hotel. That afternoon,
at 2:00 p.m., I was called by Captain Debbie Cook to go to the registrar
area in the Fort Harrison hotel. I am sure this day was Wednesday.
When I arrived Captain Cook was sitting in a small, back room accompanied
by Piers Almquist and a CMO messenger. I was directed to go into
the room and the door was closed behind me.
7. After the
door was closed, Debbie Cook said to me "We want to know how
we can help you in your inheritance cycle." This was to speed
up my receiving the inheritance. I told her I had my family lawyer
and other professionals taking care of things and that I needed
Italian professionals taking care of it, not Americans. She said
they knew I had a beautiful villa and other nice things and that
I really needed to help with the Italian Class VIIII project. I
told her I could not give any more money; my money was in Italy
and my banker would need my signature. She told me they would arrange
for scientologists in America and Italy to loan me money, then I
could return to Italy later and get the money to pay them back.
She also wanted me to call my banker right then and find out how
much money I could take out of Italy at that moment.
8. At this
point, I didn't know what to do. I told her it was too late in Italy
for me to call the bank and I would call in the morning and talk
to my banker to see how much money I had in my accounts. Upon this
promise of mine to call my banker in Italy, they let me leave the
room. I then returned to work.
9. The next
morning at 8:00 a.m. I was preparing for work when I was told not
to start working but to return to the Fort Harrison. I did this,
and when I arrived at the Fort Harrison I was directed to the same
little room. Inside waiting for me were the following people:
Debbie Cook
-- Captain FSO
Piers Almquist
- a registrar
David Foster
- a registrar
Pilar Saldiariagga
- Commodores Messenger
John Lundeen
-- Supervisor of the registrars
Chiara Staples
- my FSM
10. Chiara
had been called in and asked to lend me money. She had $50,000 in
cash in a bag and told me she would loan me the money if I promised
to pay her back as soon as I returned to Italy and received my inheritance.
Under pressure, I agreed to do this. Almost imMediately, Dave Foster
told me that this amount was not enough.
11. Debbie
Cook then had an idea. She suggested that "Teresa", the
wife of Gerald Bloom, who was a Class V C/S, could also lend me
money. Teresa was called in and asked to loan me money. She also
said she did not have money in the USA. Teresa was asked to call
her mother in Switzerland to arrange to loan me $100,000. The money
was eventually transferred from Switzerland to the Flag Accounts.
I was praised and told to go back to work, which I did.
12. On the
following Thursday morning, I was again called by Captain Cook and
told to go to her office in the Coachman building. When I arrived
she and John Lundeen and another staff member who was an MAA and
was also Italian were waiting for me. It was before 9:00 a.m. and
they wanted more money. They pushed and pushed me saying I must
help Italy get the LRH materials. They asked me to call my bank
in Italy and talk to the director to see how much money was available
to me. I could not lie to him because they put the phone call on
speakerphone and of course the other Italian staff member could
understand what was being said. The bank director told me that I
had just received money into my account from selling a large piece
of real estate. I tried to tell the director that I needed that
money for inheritance tax, but he told me I had more than enough
to cover it. So they now knew I had money in my account. The Captain
told me to ask how much I could have sent to the United States without
my signature. He said if I faxed him my signature and a copy of
my ID, I could have all the money I wanted. I wanted to kill this
bank director, but of course he didn't know what was going on.
13. At this
point, I ended up transferring $300,000 to the Flag Land Base. I
was very upset by this transaction and by the fact that I was then
highly commended at the staff meeting for having donated so much.
The whole staff clapped for me, however I felt terrible and promised
myself that this was it. I would give no more money. I was also
given other benefits due to this contribution. For example I had
been asking for a lighter schedule for months due to a heart condition.
Regular Flag staff hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. It was
not until after I had made this contribution that a lighter schedule
was finally approved for me.
14. I then
asked to return to Italy in order to see my attorneys and finalize
my inheritance and to visit my granddaughter. I requested a leave
of absence. I was told that it was okay to leave, but before I left
they wanted me to make my total donation one million dollars and
asked for the balance to add to the previous donations. This was
all for the Italian Class VIII translation of materials and to pay
for people to come from Italy to Flag to train. Throughout the day
I spoke with my seniors in the organization and begged to go back
to Italy. I tried very hard to avoid the issue of money. This was
in September.
15. One Thursday
morning at 6:00 a.m., High Levy showed up at my home. He told me
that I had to come right away to the Fort Harrison because they
needed me. I arrived at the Fort Harrison and was taken downstairs.
In a room awaiting me were Captain Cook and Dave Foster.
16. They told
me that Tito Mazza (who was one of the first two men who came to
my home in Italy) was on the phone from Italy. Tito told me that
the Italian statistics were down and they really needed my money.
He told me he had found someone who could lend me $200,000. He said
he would go to the person in Italy and the two of them would call
me back in America and we would do a conference call. He did this,
going to the house of Franco Baggio, who happened to be one of my
pcs. Mr. Baggio told me he could loan the $200,000, however, he
needed to get it from the bank. He also told me he needed the loan
paid off in one month. I did not agree to do this and the Captain
and Dave Foster badgered and harassed me until I finally just hung
up the phone.
17. At this
point, somebody called the Captain out of the room, leaving just
Dave Foster and me in the room. Mr. Foster started yelling at me,
becoming as red as a lobster and getting so upset I thought he was
going to have a heart attack. He wanted me to give the money. He
told me I was not a good Scientologist; that my money was Wog money
and needed to go to scientology; and that I was unethical. I kept
refusing to give any more money. Finally, Dave Foster slapped me
in the face. I began to cry.
18. The Captain
FSO then returned to the room. I told her Dave Foster had slapped
me. Dave Foster denied it. Captain FSO then imMediately began asking
me again for more money. They kept badgering me, insinuating that
if I wanted to go home to Italy, I had better give the money. Soon,
I was an emotional mess. I wanted out of that room and to go home
to Italy. It was apparent to me that neither would happen if I did
not agree: so, I finally agreed to give them whatever money they
wanted. At that point they again called Franco Baggio and I told
him to give the money. Franco then wrote a check and gave it to
Tito Mazza, who took the check to Luxembourg and put it into a Flag
account there. Only after this did they let me out of the room.
I then returned to work.
19. I now wanted
to leave for Italy, but OSA was holding my passport and though I
had asked for its return every night for twenty days, they would
not give it to me. I finally went to the Captain FSO at the end
of October. I begged to be able to return to Italy so I could get
the money to pay everybody back. Also during this time I was sick
with worry because they had told me they wanted one million dollars
and they hadn't yet gotten that out of me. So every Thursday I was
terrified that I would again be called in and forced to give more
money.
20. The Captain
finally ok'd the return of my passport. Soon after getting it, I
was again called into a meeting in the Captain's Office in the Coachman
building. The Captain told me to write a CSW to go to Italy and
get it signed by all of my seniors and bring it back to Snr. Staff
HCO and then to her.
This was the
end of October. At this time she asked me if I had any more money
in the bank. I admitted that I did (lying to the Captain is an overt).
She told me the stats were down and I needed to again contribute
money. I was so anxious to get my CSW signed so I could leave, I
again wrote a check for Flag. This was for $25,000 written on my
account at 1st National Bank (Amsouth) in Clearwater.
21. After this,
I tried and tried to get everyone to approve my CSW to go home to
Italy. Towards the end of November, I received all necessary approvals.
I finally left for Italy in early December.
22. When I
arrived in Italy, my attorney told me that before the 12th of December
I had to pay the inheritance taxes. I paid the taxes and then found
that nothing was left in the bank. I decided I had to sell some
property, as I was now virtually penniless.
23. I then
called Mr. Baggio and told him that I was not able to repay his
loan imMediately. He was furious. I explained that I had given all
of my money to Flag. He didn't care.
24. In January
of 1993, I called Flag and told them that I couldn't return as I
was broke and was trying to sell property. I spoke with Debbie Cook.
Her suggestion was that I put the property in the name of Scientology
America, and they would sell the property and pay back all of the
loans I had taken to pay FSO. I told her this was not possible as
the property was not fully in my name, but also in the name of my
granddaughter, who was a minor, and another relative. Because my
granddaughter was a minor, the court would represent her in any
sale and put the money aside for her use.
25. Debbie
then directed me to stay in Italy to sell the property, and while
I was there to continue working for Flag as a "missionaire."
She said I should audit people from my home. She would send the
clients to me. She said there were a lot of Italian people in disagreement
with Scientology who would not go into an org but would come to
my home or I could go to theirs. So the people would pay Flag and
I would audit them in Italy. Of course, I got paidnothing to do
this work.
26. I now began
to sell my art and antiques just to survive until I finally sold
the property. I was then able to repay all the money borrowed on
mybehalf. Franco Baggio charged me 22% interest on the money. This
had never been discussed or agreed to between us.
27. As soon
as I paid Mr. Baggio, I received a call from Captain FSO. She said
she knew I had sold my property. She called me directly because
I had previously screamed into the phone at another staff member,
saying I was sick of getting calls from Flag and to leave me alone.
Debbie Cook asked me at this time to pay the balance of the $1 million
she wanted. I refused. She then told me I had to return to Flag.
I said I could not. I reminded her I was doing all sorts of auditing
in Italy. She insisted I return to Flag. I still refused.
28. About two
weeks later I was in Milano to audit some OT VII's. At this time
I was mentally a mess. My mother had died, my daughter had died,
my cousin had committed suicide, I had given all of my money to
Flag and my families business had lost all of its assets. While
I was in Milano, Tito Mazza and John Lundeen bothered me about making
further donations. I finally broke down and wrote a check for the
balance to make up $1 million. At this point, I had paid a total
of one million dollars to Flag and $40,000 to Franco Baggio for
interest.
29. Debbie
Cook then called again to tell me I had not yet made one million
dollars. Per their account it was only $960,000. I told her by my
count it was one million forty thousand. That was it. I refused
to give any more.
30. At this
time, my family began expressing concern for my mental state, saying
they believed I was crazy for throwing away all of my money to Scientology.
One relative was trying to convince my attorneys that I was completely
insane. This created a great deal of difficulty for me. At this
time I decided to never return to work at Flag. My life was a living
hell.
31. I called
Debbie Cook and told her I was not coming back to work. Three days
later, John Lundeen arrived at my home with Chiara. These two insisted
I pay the remainder of money to make my donation for one million.
This was insane. I could stand it no more. I told them to take any
money they wanted, I didn't care. My nerves were gone at this point.
I was totally broken. I gave them another $50,000.
32. As far
as leaving staff, I wanted to do it properly per the policies of
the FSO. So I returned in January or February of 1994 to route out.
I expected this to take about one week. It took two months. This
organization did a Board of Investigation on me because I wanted
to leave staff. The result of this action was that I was not qualified
for the Sea Org. Therefore, they now kicked me out. After all of
the money I had given them and all of the auditing I had done and
my high training, I was found not qualified.
33. Also, while
I was doing this routing out, I noticed that there was not one Italian
in the Class VIII classroom studying. This is what I had paid the
one million for. I had been told that my donations were for Italians,
yet in the course room were all kinds of people but Italians. I
went to Debbie Cook and told her she had lied to me. I said right
then that I wanted all of my money back. Debbie responded that they
were at that point in time translating the material into Italian
so my money could be used to "free Italians." Two years
later, materials were still not translated into Italian.
34. When I
finally returned to Italy, I found my situation was terrible. My
attorney told me to sell the family villa. All the money was gone
and I could no longer afford it. I sold the villa and gave some
of this money to my granddaughter and about half a million to my
son-in-law.
35. At the
end of 1994, I returned to Clearwater to sell a condo I owned in
Island Estates. At that time I went to the Fort Harrison to visit
Chiara. When I walked in, a registrar for the Super Power project,
Charmaigne, and another registrar for special properties grabbed
me and sat me down. They asked me for money. I said no.but they
would not let me leave. I was at this point completely unable to
deal with these demands for money, even though I knew it was harming
me. I gave $20,000 to Charmaigne for super power project. I then
went to Chiara's house and hid out.
36. After I
sold my condo, I went to Amsouth bank to get some money. When I
came out of the bank two officers from Scientology Special Properties
in Los Angeles were waiting for me. They wanted money to help put
LRH materials into titanium so it could be preserved for eternity.
They asked me to come to the top floor of the Fort Harrison to see
the new special properties. I just wanted to go to Italy, now. I
had my ticket in my pocket. I still had to empty my condo and get
out. I asked them to leave me be. I told them to leave me alone
or I would die here in America. But they said, "Let's go"
and escorted me to the Fort Harrison where they badgered me for
the money. Again, I lost my will and just wrote them a check. I
gave them $25,000 from the condo sale.
37. After this,
I went to the bank, emptied the account and I left for home. While
I was at the airport in Miami awaiting my connecting flight to Milan,
I sat in the VIP waiting room having a coffee. I received a call.
I was told there was someone crying on the phone. ImMediately I
worried that it was my granddaughter and something was wrong at
home.
38. The person
crying on the phone was Chiara at Flag. She told me that Charmaigne
had her locked in a room and was badgering her, telling her she
had to give them $100,000 in my name for the superpower project.
They wouldn't believe Chiara when she told them I was already gone.
They told her to prove it, and thus Chiara was calling me. I then
had to verify for Charmaigne over the phone that I was indeed in
Miami.
39. Charmaigne
at once told me to return to Flag. I told her no. Finally, I was
yelling into the phone. I told her I could give her not one penny
more and that if Chiara gave her the $100,000 I would not pay it
back, but Charmaigne would have to repay it herself.
40. I returned
to Italy. My life was very difficult now. I had little money and
again had to sell property to pay my daily expenses.
41. In early
1995, I called Debbie Cook. I told her that now I needed help from
her. I was an OT VIII class IX auditor who had given over one million
dollars to Scientology. I never spoke to Debbie. Never once would
she come on the phone to speak to me.
42. Now, I
started to write to her. I also started writing CLO and phoning
OSA in Italy and asking for my money back. I wrote and called many
times saying I wanted all one million. I was ignored. I then decided
to go to court.
43. My family
attorney wrote to the CLO Italy. The response was for Flag to send
Ellen Almquist to me in Italy to audit me. I refused to be audited.
For three days she stayed at my home and tried to get me into session.
I would not go. She finally went away. Shortly thereafter, they
sent another auditor, one whom I was very fond of and with whom
I had previously worked. I still refused. In fact, when he prepared
a room to audit me, I took a bottle of whisky in with me and said,
"Ok. I am ready to audit." He soon left.
44. In 1994
Debbie Cook bought a new, $40,000 car. She told me it was her FSM
commission as she was the FSM on my cycle. This is against the policies
of Scientology as far as I know. In fact, everyone who worked on
this gathering of the $1 million took commissions from this.
45. During
this time, I started drinking too much, just to forget all that
I had been through. Now, the CLO wrote to my attorney and said I
had to get my money back from Flag, not them. My attorney then told
me I could sue them from Italy. When Flag found out that I was suing,
they started looking into my financial situation. At this point,
I wanted ALL money I had given to Flag. So, I called their attorney
in Rome. They proposed a meeting with my attorney to come to some
form of agreement.
46. Their attorney
set the time of the meeting one day before a sale at my home to
raise money. They had gone to a public registry and obtained information
on my financial situation.
47. At this
meeting in Rome in their attorney's office was myself, a person
from CLO Italy, my attorney, the daughter of their attorney, a woman
from OSA Flag and a staff member from Roma Org. For the whole afternoon
we discussed the situation. In the end, the woman from OSA told
me they knew I was in a terrible financial bind and she offered
me a check for 250 million lira ($180,000). She said either I agree
or I will get nothing. She spoke in English and my attorney could
not understand this. I was really at the point of losing the last
of what I had. I asked the woman if I took the money, would I still
be in good standing with the church. She said yes. I didn't want
to go back, but I also didn't want them all against me. I felt they
were dangerous people. I also told her I still had $29,000 in my
account at Flag and I wanted that returned. She said I would still
be able to get that returned per the church policy.
48. I then
accepted the check. We agreed that I would then receive two more
checks in the same amount. I signed an agreement, which was in English.
I asked for a copy. They said it had to go to Flag and they would
send my copy with the second payment. They never sent it and I have
still never received a copy.
49. When the
third payment arrived, it was for 240 million, not 250. I asked
where are the other ten million liras. Their attorney said it had
been given to my attorney.
50. Now, after
I had received this money for repayment of half of what I had given
for the Class VIII Italian project, I decided to get the money left
on account at Flag. I called FSO and asked to come back. I was told
that I could not return to Flag. I was not in good standing with
the church. I soon also received a letter from the Ship saying I
was a "refund." I have never yet received a refund from
the Ship Org.
51. I have
been cheated by this organization. I want my money on accounts refunded;
I want my money donated to the Super Power project returned to me.
I want the other $500,000 returned to me. I have written them and
they are not willing to help me. They in fact have told me that
am trying to extort money from them. My attorney in Italy did say
that the agreement had no legal standing in Italy.
I declare under
penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America
and the state of Florida that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed in
Clearwater, Florida this 19th day of January 2001.
Maria Pia Gardini
3. On January
1, 1992 at twelve thirty in the afternoon I was sitting at table
for lunch with some friends i.e. Franco Baggio, his wife Marilena
and his son Alessandro, Masimo Cavadenti (now deceased) and Letizia
Pizza, when a taxi entered my garden. Four people emerged. My butler
came to table to inform me of the visitors, as they were quite unexpected.
In Italy, you don't just drop in on people on the first day of the
year. It is to be spent with family and close friends.
4. I went to
the window to see who it was. It was Charmaign (last name unknown),
who was the Super Power registrar In Charge in Flag Service Org
in Clearwater, Fl; her husband; a staff member from CLO Italy named
Simonetta; and a public from Los Angeles, a blond haired woman whom
I never seen since.
5. Charmaign
stood in my garden yelling for me to come down and pay for the taxi,
as they didn't have a penny. Mr. Baggio went instead of me. They
then came upstairs to the dining room and I asked why there were
there. Were they lost or what? Charmaign said no, she had come expressly
to me to talk to me about Super Power.
6. All four
people then sat at the table and began to eat our meals. I was shocked
by their horrible manners and even smacked Charmaign's hand when
she tried to take food from my plate. This woman was in full Sea
Org uniform with stripes and everything. My butler was looking quite
shocked.
7. This was
my first year alone since my daughter and mother had died and my
friends and I were shocked that they had come on this day to reg
me for money. Charmaign told me they were in Italy and came to "get
their stats up." So, they start telling me all about Super
Power project until Franco Baggio asked them to stop so they could
at least eat and they would discuss it afterward.
8. At this
point, Charmaign began drinking wine, lots of wine until she became
totally drunk. We had to put her in bed in the guest room with her
husband. The rest of us went into another room to talk socially.
9. At 6:00
p.m. Charmaign woke up. She was yelling and screaming, "Why
did you let me sleep!" We told her she was so drunk she couldn't
stand up from the chair. She then started right in telling me she
wanted $35,000 from me for a Cornerstone donation to the project.
She told me she would not leave the house until I paid. This went
on until 8:00 p.m. as I tried to resist her in every way, even locking
myself in the bathroom for half an hour with her banging on the
outside saying she would never leave.
10. My butler
then came in and told us that dinner was ready. I did not want Charmaign
and company to stay for dinner as I had other family arriving. Franco
finally told me to give her something so she would get out, so I
offered her a check for $10,000 to leave. I told the butler to take
one of my cars and take them to the train station and put her on
any train he could find.
11. I was still
a staff member of Flag at this time and Charmaign was a senior officer
to me. This is one thing that made it very difficult for me to kick
her out of my home. I would have been in very strong ethics problems
if I had over stepped my limit in how I treated an officer.
I declare under
penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States ofAmerica
and the state of Florida that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed in
Clearwater, Florida this 19th day of January 2001.
Maria Pia Gardini
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