Vivendi Files RICO Complaint Against T-Mobile

PARIS/NEW YORK, October
24: Vivendi has filed a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
(RICO) complaint in a Washington federal court, charging that T-Mobile has
illegally appropriated Vivendi's $2.5 billion investment in the Polish mobile
telco Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC) “through a pattern of fraud and
racketeering.”

The complaint stems from
the deal inked by Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s parent company, to acquire
Polish outfit Elektrim’s stake in PTC. Elektrim is Vivendi's joint-venture
partner for its investment in PTC, Eastern Europe’s second-largest mobile
operator.

Vivendi says Elektrim
cannot sell its PTC interest, arguing that it belongs to a holding company in
which both Elektrim and Vivendi have a stake. A Vienna arbitration court
disagreed, claiming that Deutsche Telekom could proceed with the acquisition.

Vivendi has named in the
complaint T-Mobile USA, T-Mobile Deutschland, Deutsche Telekom and Zygmunt
Solorz-Zak, who controls Elektrim.

"Vivendi considers
that T-Mobile and Mr. Solorz' Elektrim illegally appropriated its $2.5 billion
investment in PTC and, at every turn, have defied court orders,” said
Jean-Bernard Levy, the chairman of the management board at Vivendi. “By filing
this Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act complaint, Vivendi asks
the court for a simple remedy: give us back our money or our PTC shares.
Fairness and justice must prevail."