Film producer in Polish probe
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Prosecutors in Poland have questioned a newspaper editor about published allegations that a leading film producer sought a $17.5-million bribe to lobby the government for more media-friendly laws.
The allegations against Lew Rywin were carried last month by the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza. It reported he approached its chief editor with the offer last July, claiming he represented Prime Minister Leszek Miller.
Rywin, 57, is one of Poland’s most prominent media entrepreneurs. His company, Heritage Films, co-produced Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List,” which won a 1993 Academy Award for best film. “The Pianist,” which featured Rywin as an actor, won the top prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Rywin has refused to comment on the bribery allegation. But Miller, speaking on Polish state radio Monday, called it “grotesque” and false.
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