Lew Rywin

Infobox Criminal


subject_name = Lew Rywin
image_size =
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date_of_birth = birth date and age|1945|11|10
place_of_birth = Niżnyj Alkiejew, Siberia, USSR
date_of_death =
place_of_death =
charge = attempted fraud
penalty = 2 and a half years and a fine of 100,000 PLN
status = free
occupation = film producer
spouse =
parents =
children =

Lew Rywin, (born November 10, 1945 in a Siberian village) is a Polish film producer associated with Heritage Films (est. 1991). He worked also in state-run TV.

He participated in producing such films as Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List", Roman Polanski's "The Pianist", and Jakub Kolski's "Pornografia".

In 2003, Rywin was accused by "Gazeta Wyborcza" of attempted bribery when he allegedly solicited a bribe of $17.5 million from editor Adam Michnik in exchange for amendments to a media bill. The passing of amendment in its primary form, which was suggested by the government, would have prevented Agora S.A. from buying Polsat, one of the Polish national TV stations. This case, called the "Rywin affair", led to the establishment of the investigative commission by the Polish Parliament (Sejm). Consequently, Rywin was sentenced for the attempt to influence new law on radio and television in a way that would enable Poland's most successful media company to buy a national television station. Furthermore, the controversial draft act was rejected by the Polish Parliament.

Bribery Affair

On July 22, 2002 he suggested a bribe from the Agora company, first from Agora's president Wanda Rapaczyńska, and then Adam Michnik, editor in chief of the Gazeta Wyborcza Daily. Rywin claimed that he was sent by the prime minister Leszek Miller and had connections to an undetermined “power group” ("grupa trzymająca władzę") that could cause news media laws imposing restrictions on TV station ownership for newspaper publishers not to come into force. The bribe sum was reported to be 17.5 million USD.

The bribe offer was made public in article in "Gazeta Wyborcza" on December 27, 2002 and resulted in forming a special parliamentary inquiring committee, with Tomasz Nałęcz as chairman. Other members of the committee included:

* Jan Rokita
* Renata Beger
* Anita Błochowiak
* Bohdan Kopczyński
* Ryszard Kalisz
* Bogdan Lewandowski
* Józef Szczepańczyk
* Jan Łączny
* Jerzy Szteliga
* Stanisław Rydzoń
* Zbigniew Ziobro

Five out of ten committee members were appointed by the ruling SLD-UP coalition.

The committee's often comical deliberations lasted for over a year and didn't result in any substantial conclusions, but helped reveal numerous irregularities in the legislative process. The surprising final report, prepared by Anita Błochowiak, denied the existence of a “power group” and emphasized Rywin's own initiative. However minority reports prepared by other committee members claimed otherwise and the farthest reaching of those reports, prepared by Zbigniew Ziobro, was accepted by the Sejm due to a miscalculation made by Miller's party.

Rywin's corruption trial started in December 2003. On April 26, 2004 he was sentenced to 2 and a half years and a fine of 100,000 PLN (about 25,000 USD in 2002) for attempted fraud. After the appeal, the sentence was lowered to 2 years. He was serving his sentence in a maximum security prison in Warsaw. In an ironic twist, the disgraced Rywin, who made a name for himself helping produce films about The Holocaust, was himself behind bars in the historic Warsaw prison where the Germans held many Jews during the war. On November 14, 2006 (after serving half of his sentence) Rywin was released on parole.