Becker pointed out that the minister charges 2,000 francs for regular weddings while for his event in the eastern Swiss ski resort of St Moritz in 2009, he was required to pay about five times as much.
“I don’t want to be a miser but this is five times the regular fee,” said Becker, who appeared in court in crutches due to an injured foot.
“The priest wants to rip me off,” he added.
“I will not pay this bill out of principle,” he said.
The American pastor Brent Fisher had already taken Becker to court in the canton of Graubünden where the wedding was held. The court ordered Becker to pay Fisher 1,988 francs.
The case was now being tried by the court in the canton of Zug, where Becker lives.
Fisher explained that he was asking more than his usual fee because of the extra work he had to put in for the preparation of Becker’s wedding, including travelling to Zurich to meet a Gospel musician.
A ruling is expected in the coming weeks.
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