Mr. E. van Niekerk, who also testified before the Commission. Mr. Van Niekerk during his
Scientology days was a qualified auditor and eventually became director of training. Mr.
Tannenbaum desired to solve a problem relating to the disappearance of drugs in his
pharmaceutical business and called upon Mr. Van Niekerk who was then conducting business under
the style of "Industrial Security Agency". By the use of a machine which resembled the E-Meter
and a Security Check Form he singled out the alleged thieves - one of them committing suicide
as a result. Mr. Tannenbaum regarded this use of the instrument in question as an abuse of
Scientology. The Security Check was designed as a therapeutic aid. Mr. Van Niekerk used it
to condemn people.* If regard be had to Mr. Hubbard's description of the attributes of a good
security checker -
"thorough, swinish suspicion and not belief in mankind or
the devil - only the meter",1
the significance of Mr. Tannenbaum's evidence is emphasised and the harmful potential use of
the E-Meter is underlined.
91