3.  Was Polanski Sacrificed To Protect Swiss Bankers?

On Sunday night, the Associated Press accidentally released a memo speculating on possible motives behind Switzerland's decision to arrest filmmaker Roman Polanski on 30-year-old statutory rape charges. In the memo, an AP staffer suggested that the Swiss government decided to arrest Polanski now because "they're under intense pressure over ubs and want to throw the U.S. a bone." Swiss banking giant UBS is currently under pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice to abandon its policy of banking secrecy, which has allowed wealthy American investors to avoid paying taxes. Last month, UBS agreed to turn over the names of 4,450 clients accused of hiding money in Switzerland, and the company has already paid a $780 million fine. A spokesman for the Swiss Justice Ministry has denied allegations that Polanski's arrest was politically motivated. "There was a valid arrest request and we knew when he was coming," he commented. The memo was posted on Forbes’ Web site before it was quickly taken down.

Read original story in Guardian | Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009