Rywin in Pole bribe probe

Prosecutors investigating allegations by daily newspaper

By REUTERS

WARSAW -- Prosecutors on Tuesday charged Polish filmmaker Lew Rywin, who co-produced Steven Spielberg's Academy Award-winning "Schindler's List" and Roman Polanski's Cannes winner "The Pianist," with attempted bribery in a corruption probe.

They are investigating allegations by daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza that Rywin demanded a $17.5 million bribe from its editor in return for changes to media legislation that would have made it possible for the paper's owner, Agora, to buy commercial television station Polsat.

According to Gazeta, Rywin told editor Adam Michnik last July that he was acting for politicians from Prime Minister Leszek Miller's party.

Rywin, topper of Heritage Films, was released on bail of about $132,000 after being questioned by prosecutors, who confiscated his passport and told him not to leave Poland.

He was charged with soliciting a bribe while citing links with a state institution. If convicted, he could go to prison for up to three years. Rywin has denied the allegations.

Parliament took the rare step last week of setting up an investigative committee, which held its first session Tuesday.

The media bill, now before Parliament, would bar print groups from owning national television interests -- a measure Agora argues would leave it vulnerable to foreign competition when Poland joins the European Union in 2004.