GENEVA (AP) -- Swiss admiral angled off the United States and set in motion the arrest of administrator Roman Polanski aftermost month in his decades-old adolescent sex case, according to documents acquired by The Associated Press. On Wednesday, a top Swiss official defended the move.

Justice Ministry spokesman Folco Galli said the e-mails - acquired in Los Angeles by the AP under a U.S. public annal appeal - showed that Swiss admiral followed proper police action back a wanted individual is expected in Switzerland.

"An arrest is a big operation," Galli told the AP. "If we apperceive a wanted individual is coming, we always ask if the arrest warrant is valid."

According to the emails, the Swiss admiral sent an burning fax to the U.S. Office of International Affairs on Sept. 22 stating Polanski was traveling to Zurich. The administrator was to be feted at a blur festival, and Swiss admiral wanted to apperceive if the U.S. would be appointment a appeal for his arrest as he was the subject of an international law enforcement "Red Notice."

"The Americans anon confirmed that was the case," Galli said.

As a result, Switzerland was required by accord to apprehend Polanski, he said.

Galli additionally addressed the nagging question of why authorities decided to go afterwards Polanski now, even though the 76-year-old filmmaker has been a frequent company to Switzerland, area he owns an Alpine chalet. Unlike his antecedent visits, Polanski's appearance was widely advertised and that told authorities back and area he would arrive.

It took little sleuthing to figure out Polanski would be in Zurich - the blur anniversary had a We! b site a nnouncement its upcoming accolade to the administrator of "Rosemary's Baby," "Chinatown" and "The Pianist."

But several Swiss politicians and political commentators accept argued that Switzerland may accept cooperated too energetically, and that recent U.S.-Swiss troubles over affluent American tax cheats and Swiss banks may accept provided action for the arrest.

Swiss authorities accept adamantly alone that suggestion.

"We accept 20,000 warrant requests each year," Galli said, adding that this was the first time admiral had absolute details on the director's arrival and an official American appeal to arrest him.

After accepting the tip, U.S. federal admiral alerted the Los Angeles commune attorney's office, which anon began drafting an arrest warrant. E-mails appearance U.S. authorities learned on Sept. 23 that Polanski was in Austria but admiral doubted they could accumulate an arrest warrant before Polanski had moved on to Switzerland.

Polanski was arrested three canicule later as he accustomed in Zurich to accept a lifetime accomplishment award. He has been aggressive displacement anytime since and on Tuesday suffered a serious setback back Switzerland's top bent court alone his appeal to be appear from prison, citation the "high" accident that the administrator would try to abscond again.

Polanski's offers of bail, house arrest and cyberbanking monitoring failed to sway the Swiss tribunal. Even his chalet in the luxury resort of Gstaad was brushed abreast as insufficient accessory to guard adjoin Polanski fleeing the country, as the court noted that "the appellant has already already in 1978 eluded American bent proceedings by traveling to Europe."

A Sept. 25 e-mail from the Office of International Affairs to the Los Angeles commune attorney's appointment shows U.S. authorities seemed confident that Polanski would not be! release d.

"Generally, Switzerland does not absolution fugitives sought for extradition," the e-mail states. "The absence in Switzerland is that a fugitive will be bedfast until s/he is either extradited or determined by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court to be non-extraditable."

Laura Sweeney, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Department of Justice, said she could not comment on any of the contest leading up to Switzerland's fax to the United States.

"We don't comment on matters of displacement unless and until an individual is on U.S. soil," Sweeney said.

U.S. commune attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said it was not unusual for her appointment to accept information on fugitives' whereabouts, but she declined to comment further.

Polanski's lawyer, Herve Temime, additionally refused to altercate what Swiss initiation of the arrest ability mean for his client's attempts to be release.

But Peter Cosandey, a above Zurich prosecutor, said the revelation doesn't aid Polanski's case.

"This is accustomed procedure," Cosandey told The AP. "This additionally happened to me as prosecutor. The guy is traveling somewhere. You're asked, 'Are you looking for him. Do you still want to arrest him.'"

Dieter Jann, addition ex-district attorney, agreed.

"This changes absolutely nothing," he said. "It's absolutely accustomed for countries to barter tips on wanted people and to allure each added to booty action. If it wasn't Polanski, anybody would anticipate this is right."

Polanski was accused of plying a 13-year-old babe with champagne and part of a Quaalude pill during a clay shoot in 1977 and raping her. He was initially indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, adolescent molesting and sodomy.

He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge ! of actio nable animal action and fled amidst a legal altercation over the length of his sentence.

Polanski has until Oct. 29 to appeal the accommodation on his release. He additionally can abide attempts to persuade the Swiss Justice Ministry to absolution him. More court proceedings are expected afterwards Washington files its academic displacement request, which it has until Nov. 25 to submit.

Legal experts said no path offered Polanski much achievement for a accelerated absolution from jail.

It is not bright how much time in jail Polanski faces now, either in Switzerland or in the United States. With appeals, the displacement process in Switzerland could booty months. In the United States, Polanski fled before sentencing was complete and is expected to face additional penalties for jumping bail.

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Watkins contributed from Los Angeles.

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