Swiss Government Dismisses Malicious and Fraudulent Accusations against Board of Directors of Osho International Foundation
Swiss Government Authorities dismissed all claims as false and ended a malicious attack on the Board of Directors and an attempt to take over Osho International Foundation. Complainant Doetsch Misled Swiss Authorities ZURICH – On the 2nd of June, 2014, the Swiss Government Authorities of the Federal Department of the Interior (“ESA”) which oversees as Supervisory Board all Swiss foundations, removed the Board of Directors from Osho International Foundation (“OIF”), acting on a malicious complaint filed by Robert Doetsch, aka Swami Ramateertha, in concert with Alvaro Ruffo della Scaletta, aka Swami Chidananda. After a first round of investigation revealed that the accusations made by Doetsch in his complaint were fabricated, the Swiss authorities in an Order from 12th September 2014, reinstated all board members, Michael Byrne, John Andrews, D’Arcy O’Byrne, Klaus Steeg, and Rudolf Kocher, with full authority to operate all Foundation activities. On November 24th, 2015, Ms. Helena Antonio, Director of the Federal Supervisory Board for Foundations, concluded the Board’s detailed investigation and confirmed its earlier rejection of all false accusations against the Board of OIF.
This latest decision by the Swiss Government authorities is final and puts to rest Doetsch’s legal maneuvering aimed at taking control of OIF: “As previously explained, the inquiries of the administrator and the ESA produced no evidence that the accusations made by [Doetsch] are in fact, correct.” Initially Doetsch had misled the Swiss authorities and had been given a “party status” in the proceedings as a former board member of the Foundation. It should be noted here that Osho had personally requested that Doetsch resign from the Board which he did thirty years ago in June 1986, just a few months after his appointment. The Supervisory Authority ESA in its decision noted: “Since the year 2000, the complainant [Doetsch] and closely related parties attempted to take legal action against [OIF] in different countries, with the aim to ‘bring down’ the trademarks and copyrights of Osho International Foundation…. The ESA was unaware of this background; the supervisory complaint … makes no mention of this, so the impression was created that the complainant was acting as an individual and not as a representative of interested parties….” Furthermore and by way of example, Doetsch failed to inform the Swiss authorities that he was behind the 2010 legal action attacking the Foundation’s European OSHO trademark, which was personally put in place by Osho. Doetsch also failed to inform Swiss authorities that he is involved with, and supporting, ongoing attacks on the legal and international copyright protection of Osho’s work that is granted to authors by international law. These “omissions” changed the course of this legal action when the ESA stated: “The response to the complaint does not only invalidate the raised accusations and allegations; the corresponding statements additionally place the complainant himself in an unfavorable light.”
As soon as the board of directors had been suspended, Doetsch and his associates publically encouraged people to illegally upload to the Internet copyrighted works of Osho, while spreading the falsehood that OIF was not longer able to enforce the copyright protection of Osho’s works. When this illegal activity came to the attention of Swiss authority, it immediately confirmed the Foundation’s ability and rights of “Enforcement of copyright and trademark and other intellectual property ownership…,” including taking the necessary legal actions against “those supporting the dissemination of such infringement.” The authorities rejected in clear language all central allegations: “As explained … the inquiries made … have not brought to light evidence of any unlawful conduct on the part of the Foundation’s executives.” “[Doetsch’s] primary accusation … to siphon off assets for the benefit of the Respondents, has proven unfounded.” They continued: “…it was impossible to confirm the accusations made in the supervisory complaint regarding the improper use or even the unauthorized appropriation of Foundation funds by its executives. In particular, there was also no evidence of any criminal conduct on the part of the Foundation executives as insinuated on multiple occasions by [Doetsch].” Finally: “…the administrator likewise arrives at the conclusion that [Doetsch’s] accusations, particularly regarding any personal enrichment of [the Board members], are unfounded.” Every accusation, however absurd, raised by Doetsch in these proceedings was individually addressed and rejected by the government body, using language such as: “this is false,” “it is not true,” “ESA had and still has no reason to believe” and “nor is there evidence.”
The Authorities ruled: “Osho International Foundation thoroughly fulfills its purpose of spreading the teachings and messages of Osho,” according to the foundation’s statutes and the law. The ESA also commented on the fact that Doetsch repeatedly made false and misleading accusations which he also chose to publish in an online magazine, OSHONews.com, including fabricated statements regarding the Foundation’s tax status. Particularly devious is that in his ongoing fight Doetsch had been concealing from both the public and the authorities that he was directly involved not only in earlier trademark registrations to legally protect Osho’s previous name by the foundation, but that he was also personally involved in the copyright transfer of Osho’s work from the US Foundation to the Swiss foundation in 1985 – when Osho left the United States. This was referenced to by the Swiss authorities: “It is also important to note that the establishment of the Foundation in 1984 and the assignment of the copyrights to the literary and artistic work occurred … in 1985, and thus long before Osho’s death in 1990.”
Ramateertha’s (Doetsch’s) signature is on this 1985 copyright transfer document. Also, from documents and communication provided to OIF by Swiss authorities it is evident that Doetsch attempted to challenge additional signatures on legal documents, once again making allegations of forgery, a pattern used consistently by Doetsch and his cohorts. Over time, it became clear to the authorities that the false and baseless accusations against the Board were a misuse of these legal proceedings against OIF and its directors, and were created and continued by Doetsch and his group when they realized that their attacks against the Osho trademark and registered copyrights were about to fail. The European Trademark case, initiated by Doetsch through Osho Lotus Commune e. V., tried to invalidate the long-standing trademark OSHO. In 2014, Doetsch lost this case unanimously on all counts at the trial level. Then in September 2015, he also lost his appeal on all counts, after a second board of judges reviewed the case and unanimously confirmed the initial decision. Doetsch has now appealed the decision to the European General Court. Watch this space….
Oh dear.
I do believe the infinitely improbable probability of Shantam ever exercising any influence at the Poona Ashram has become even more infinitely not going to happen. Boo hoo.
I wonder about the capacity of your brain, Arpana. You are one of those who would have cried like a rain to see the North Korean dictator passing by.
Is it so that after Socrates Greeks have lost their sharpness? Anyone with a bit of judicial prudence will understand Swiss case has zero per cent influence on the dozen-plus criminal and civil cases against the Resort trustees.
Swiss court has only looked at the merits of the international copyrights over Osho´s ‘intellectual property.’ They are right to say Osho Foundation International is the custodian of copyrights. It is like some Krishnamurti disciple cannot win the copyright case against the Krishnamurti Foundation. Osho´s Books or J´s books are intellectual property, what else?
Never discuss anything with someone like Shantam who needs every Tom, Dick, and Harry to bow before him, as if he had the tag of Avatara and Enlightened with his arrogance to play superior before everyone else.
Whatever the legal considerations, Shantam, back when Ramateertha first brought this action all you so-called rebels were cock-a-hoop, and even said this was the beginning of the end for OFI!
If it was clearly a legal no-no why did you not advise Ramateertha at the time? He lives down the road from you.
It has cost him and his friends a bomb, which must be pretty upsetting.
I don´t know about the others but on various blogs I have written that the copyright and trademark case has no ground. My position was always clear that the trust entity ‘Osho Foundation International’ is the legal custodian of Osho´s work but the people behind the OFI are crooked and clever. It means I am determined to change the regime.
Just on the record, around two years ago I was in Köln with some relatives. I wanted to speak with Ramateertha, but he was out of city. He has called me few days later and I told him, “Please put the energy to change the regime rather than focusing just on words.” So Parmartha, don´t mix me with the oshonews kind of authors. They moan about change in paragraphs in Osho books.
In the manifesto video uploaded few weeks ago, I have mentioned it clearly that OFI will remain the sole owner of the publishable material but will be generous enough with all the disciples and centres to use it as per their discretion. Here is a link for the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7NjAO0JaLs
Shantam says,
“but the people behind the OFI are crooked and clever.”
You believe they are “crooked”, Shantam, because you are crooked and dishonest yourself (but not clever).
Parmartha doesn’t see them as crooked and dishonest, because he isn’t.
Presumably, Arps, you’re referring to Shantam’s self-dishonesty, his various layers of self-delusion: his wilful blindness as to the source of his own motivations, where he’s really coming from, together with his ridiculously inflated view of his own importance. Which co-exist in a sort of deadly symbiosis guaranteed to undermine anyone’s intelligence, the fruits of which we’ve regularly witnessed over the years. Hence, “crooked” because he can’t see straight.
Thus, if conclusive evidence were ever required that ‘religion’ is for fools then Shantam would be a perfect example.
Takes all that to be able to bandy accusations around such as he’s made with no evidence.
Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Arpana, tell truthfully to people, your kind of logic is taught by Osho or Meera? Don´t you even feel embarrassed to right in such childish way?
Can Satyadeva, our in-house shrink, dare to do some of your analysis?
Further evidence of your pathological ability to deceive yourself.
Well, for a start, Shantam, you might review your second sentence above…
Then google ‘Freudian slip’.
Then, you’re on your way…
Looonnng way to go, of course, much ground to make up, your little world will have to turn upside-down…
But a journey of 1,000 miles (in your case, more like 100,000) begins with a single step….
Next, Shantam, you need to read your first sentence – in the light of your second.
Then, evaluate it on a scale of 1-10, as follows:
1-very stupid…….10-terminally ignorant poppycock.
Mind you, the Swiss govt. also allowed a convicted serial poisoner to run a nursing home. Still can`t get my head round that one.
The Swiss are an odd lot. Anyone ever visit junkie park in Zurich back in the day? That was a weird one too.
The Swiss are not a uniform culture. They are tribally split and deeply suspicious of each other and do not share common emotional intelligence. Hence everything is subdivided into rational subdivisions of civic law which amounts to a mish-mash of puritan introversion and work ethic with Catholic egotism.
You must be vetted by village officials for your pension. A precise, net curtain rattling, pointless pursuit of endeavour per se. Hence banking and efficiency for the UN and frighteningly well behaved office workers. Hence mountain climbing ad infinitum coupled with a bland, nondescript self-contentment or intellectual, pointless fastidiousness and the vocal range of a fridge. Good for skiing, building cuckoo clocks and the provocative interactions of a night of indigestible melted cheese. Heroin used to be a big deal in the land of the white coats where crossing the road on a pedestrian red light is a big no no.
Cigarette butts are hoovered in between the railway tracks and a cyclist had the police call on him for walking across the village track at a non-designated spot. Not me, if you’re wondering. They also shoot things a lot like in many European countries and the frontier access roads have all ready-made dynamite holes covered by brass caps ready for explosive blocking of intruders.
It is a very good point, Frank. And may show where money is involved, even in straight-laced Switzerland, things can be bought.
Question is, where Sheela should have gone after completing her sentence in USA?
Other than few odd cases, Osho people are not heard of suicide because of remorse or guilt.
It is indeed an inspiration of the highest order for all followers of the one true religion to have the privilege to watch the latest video release from Sheikh Shantam al Bagdhaddy Singh, self-styled leader of IS (Indian Sannyas) from his hideout near a dole office in Germany!
Words are not enough! Action is needed!
The efforts of Swami Rommelteertha have failed miserably!
Cometh the hour, cometh the man!
Shantam, the hand of destiny is touching you!
Let the cry of “regime change!” ring out and strike fear into the unbeliever!
I swear by the beard of Osho to fight until the very breath leaves my body!
God-willing, the day is upon us when the kuffars who have desecrated our holy shrine will be removed from our holiest of holies and a commune based on life exactly as it was when Osho was alive (88-90) can be implemented!
How I long for the day when the streams of Koreagaon Park run with milk, honey and wine and Shantambhai, resplendent on his throne, surrounded by 72 gora girls pandering to his every wish, gives holy discourse on what exactly to do with our lives!
Yahoo!
Anand Yogi, so many high dreams I have not. Just to bring the Osho property back into the the hands of disciples is enough for me.
I know it is a tough assignment to turn Oisis into Oasis again. As master reminds, no harm in thinking impossible before the breakfast!
Shantam declares, ‘Just to bring the Osho property back into the the hands of disciples is enough for me.”
In terms of aspiration this certainly signals a downturn in the fruits harvested from Osho’s legacy. What a load of bollocks!
Lokesh, dear, someone has to do the dirty work too.
When most of the legacy holders are busy to become enlightened through silence, someone has to be loud like a Trump!
“like a Trump!” – is this a typo, did you mean to write “like a chump!”?
Whatever, a good self-description, Shantam, the dawning of genuine self-reflection, at last. Such a relief, my untiring efforts have not been in vain, after all. Now I can die happy.
Yes, like a Trump. I hope America does the right thing to choose Donald Trump and Britain does the Brexit.
And with time, I am inclined to bring referendum in the world of Osho. Choiceless choice does not mean follow like sheep.
The real “dirty work” lies in digging out all the crap lodged between your ears. Besides, Shantam, you are not actually doing anything that will make much difference to anything.. As John Lennon so rightly said, Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.
Lokesh, sometimes read with sense of humour and write with a sense of irony!
Shantam, sometimes make sure you actually understand what others are saying to you.
Shantam, surely it is ironic to say Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans, because, in relation to the topic, we have a situation that is strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of what you expected. This is the essence of irony.
Yes, this is very true. And I think this is the beauty of life, great disciples and masters of the masters too feel like amateurish players while playing on the chessboard of life.
Really, Shantam? How would you know? Sounds more like a very convenient excuse for all manner of fool-ishness.
In short, an attempt at cunningly constructed face-saving, but ringing with false humility and tinpot pseudo-wisdom, rounded off by a delusional oblique self-reference to being a ‘great disciple’.
Transparent bullshine, as usual.
Shantam says, “Lokesh, sometimes read with sense of humour and write with a sense of irony!”
Then I say, “This is the essence of irony.”
And them Shantam says, “Yes, this is very true.”
And then I think to myself, “?”
Satyadeva, I think you must be in your mid sixties now. I presume you were looking like a mellow and wise copy of Piers Morgan.
You can write anything about me. It does not touch for the simple reason, I have an inner software who does not register any thoughts when one come from faceless people. My first and the foremost criteria of healthy discussion is when all the sides are fully exposed and therefore vulnerable as well as strong.
I don´t want to dig the same issue again and again but won´t change what I believe is the right and just because of adverse majority opinion.
SN contributors, most of whom are indeed “faceless”, will no doubt be interested – but not at all surprised – to learn that their contributions are blanked by the Great Master Shantam! It’s been clear for a long time that he pays minimal attention (if any) to others’ posts, despite his protestations to the contrary.
However, the truth is that when he does bother to read others’ critical remarks he will then write anything that lets him wriggle off the hook when cornered; anything that he thinks will enable him to ‘save face’ when his foolishness is exposed. Not only to attempt to convince others but also to convince himself, such is the level of self-armoured delusion in which he exists.
P.S:
Fyi, Shantam, I look nothing like Piers Morgan (and in fact I can’t stand the man!).
SD, to compare you with Piers Morgan was a joke, a little tease. My comparison was based on one common fact, you both sound like self-righteous and self-virtuous.
One of the reasons to visit London this year is to meet you, so that afterwards you can create a better psychoanalytical picture about me.
The reality plays a more real role than the virtual imagination. In that sense, I will say, spending few hours with Lokesh was a good decision. Even though the ping-pong is the same but there is a human warmth between.
Well, Shantam, in your psychoanalytical session at my prestigious north London consulting rooms you’ll certainly have to be fully prepared to investigate the sources of your habitual projection of disowned personal traits on to others (for example, the above comparisons with Piers Morgan esq.), this being one of your chief characteristics, extremely regularly observed here at SN over many years.
If you’re not prepared for such rigorously thorough self-examination then kindly desist from wasting my valuable time in future, as some of us have extremely important work to do, both on ourselves and others.
P.S:
By the way, my fees start from £95 per hour (no reductions under any circumstances. Achieving the financial capacity to pay for the opportunity to gain a modicum of self-awareness at Beginner’s Level is regarded as a key element in the patient’s personal growth).
As it is written in holy Vedas:
“Dogs can bark but the great disciple walks by like teflon-coated lobotomised elephant on tranqs.”
The faceless white-skinned baboons, cowardly junkies and Piers Moron look-alikes can never touch Shantambhai with their ridiculous psycho-analisis for a simple reason! Head is of thickness of reinforced concrete!
It is a medical fact that glorious members of the Sikh nation have fought for centuries without helmet but only turban, and tests have shown that when head was struck by enemy fire, shrapnel, iron bars, bullets or falling buildings – absolutely no change in level of brain function resulted!
Also, Shantam’s uncle’s cousin brother’s sister’s brother’s cousin in Derby in 1975 crashed his moped wearing only turban and head went directly under wheels of large truck – still there was absolutely no discernible change in his intelligence levels!
Now, following Osho`s guidlines to use all modern methods, he has installed up-to-date inner software so as to remain completely unaffected by any thoughts he does not want – it is called Prozac!
He is living Osho’s East/West vison of Zorba the Buddha – in state of no-mind-induced western drugs financed by western social security system and living eastern religious fantasy of no-mind at same time!
I feel immensely blessed to be nearly on same planet as such a great soul!
Yahoo!
Hari Om!
What a difference in consciousness of Anand Yogi and Arpana. Anand Yogi can kill anyone with his words and still one will feel Master´s energy is passing through the empty spaces.
Anand Yogi, you are the one with such huge talent, your being faceless does not create antagonism but curiosity who is the person behind such a filthy yet pious mind. One can rely upon you.
What a difference in consciousness of Anand Yogi and Shantam. Anand Yogi can kill anyone with his words and Shantam is just a pest.
Ever wondered, Shantam, why you’re laughed at, lampooned, satirised, criticised, reviled every day here? Ever wondered why you have zero support here?
I suggest you re-read Anand Yogi’s latest post and reflect upon it most deeply for at least 30 minutes, every hour, every day, for at least three months. After all, if it is truly a vehicle for “Master’s energy” then this is certainly a ‘must’ for you, is it not?
So, do this and tell us your conclusions after June 10. This is your meditation. Ok, Shantam?
Satyadeva,
You and your little chap can hang on the polls of envy, matter of the fact is Shantam is the part of the engine which drives, inspires and motivates Sannyas.
Any why I don´t support here? You think I am that poor who will beg before the beggars! Many times you cross the level of human stupidity. It is pathetic because you are the one who has licked the dust of so many wise ladies and gentlemen. I don’t see any shade of any rainbow but grey.
I am writing at Sannyasnews not for any fucking support but it is a medium created by Osho Disciples who are unique in the sense they follow no particular Neo-Priest. I won’t demean people by using them. It is like a local pub where few regulars meet.
Shantam, I and others here already know you have a hide thicker than ten rhinoceri (re-read Anand Yogi’s latest, as previously suggested), but you’ve failed to answer my question. So I’ll ask you again (and please answer the question as it is, not what you’d prefer it to be. I’m not asking how you feel about this, I’m asking something else):
Why do you think you have achieved zero support here, during all these years? Why do you think you are laughed at, mocked, lampooned, criticised, even reviled, far more than the rest of the contributors put together?
And why is it that no one supports any of your ideas or even takes you seriously? Do you even realise that people here regard you merely as a stupid, self-ignorant fool (“Many times you cross the level of human stupidity” – just like you, eh?!) with chronic delusions of grandeur (eg, “Shantam is the part of the engine which drives, inspires and motivates Sannyas” – my God, what a preposterous notion!).
Do you yourself have any inkling of just how stupid you are? Or how self-deluded? Or how boring? Are you really that thick?
I suspect the answer to the latter is 100% yes.
I Shantam am that poor who will beg before the beggars! It’s why I don´t get support here? Many times I Shantam cross the level of human stupidity. It is pathetic because I Shantam am the one who has licked the dust of so many wise ladies and gentlemen. I don’t see any shade of any rainbow in me Shantam, but grey.
“It is like a local pub where few regulars meet.”
No, Shantam. It isn´t.
Shantam,
So lacking in sensibility and self-awareness that you can brag about behaving like a machine.