The investigations into the group behind the Rywingate corruption scandal which resulted in the imprisonment of Polish media mogul Lew Rywin will now be wound down.

The daily reports the proceedings in the case of “the power-holding group” will be remitted. The Public Prosecutor’s Office failed to find out who was behind Lew Rywin when he went to head of Gazeta Wyborcza, Adam Michnik, in July 2002 to propose a bribe.

Almost exactly 5 years after the scandal, the investigation will be now be remitted.

In December 2002, Gazeta Wyborcza disclosed a scandal that was to completely change the Polish political scene. The daily described how the then acclaimed film producer Lew Rywin came to Adam Michnik with a proposition. For a bribe of 17.5mln dollars, Rywin was to enable Agora, the publisher of the daily, to buy the television channel Polsat.

Rywin claimed that he settled with the then PM Leszek Miller, from the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), that passages unfavorable to Agora will be crossed out from the new act amending the previous media law.

Rywin claimed that his offer was backed by “a group holding the power”. The money was to be transferred to his account, but put to the use of SLD.

Adam Michnik recorded the conversation and informed PM Miller.

Lew Rywin never disclosed the identities of the members of the “power-holding group” that was allegedly backing him, even after he was sentenced to two years in prison for his role as messenger.

The Public Prosecutors failed to establish who had sent him to Agora, although the investigative committee of the Polish parliament on the case claimed that Leszek Miller, Aleksandra Jakubowska and other SLD members were a part of the group.

Jakubowska was recently cleared of all charges connected to the case.

The “Rywingate” scandal started the downfall of the SLD government, which was the ruling party at the time. (mo)