Deutsche Telekom was told it could buy a stake in PTC

Earlier this month Deutsche Telekom bought a 48% stake in the Polish telecoms firm PTC from another Polish company, Elektrim.

But Vivendi has lodged a complaint under the Racketeer Influences and Corrupt Organisations Act that Elektrim had no right to sell the stake.

Ownership of the stake in PTC has been subject of a long-running battle.

'Justice must prevail'

Vivendi says it had has invested $2.5bn (�1.33m) in PTC and that stake does not belong to Elektrim but to another company in which both Elektrim and Vivendi have a holding.

But in June, a Vienna arbitration court ruled that Elektrim could sell the share to Deutsche Telekom - which now owns 97% of PTC - one of Poland's largest telecoms firms with 10 million customers.

The complaint - lodged with a federal court in Washington - follows a criminal complaint filed earlier this month in Warsaw.

Vivendi chairman Jean-Bernard Levy said: "By filing this complaint, Vivendi asks the court for a simple remedy: give us back our money or our PTC shares. Fairness and justice must prevail."

A Deutsche Telekom spokesman said the firm did not want to comment on the latest allegation until it had heard what Vivendi was to say at a press conference later on Tuesday.

"This latest accusation seems to have the objective of discrediting Deutsche Telekom," he said.

"Vivendi wants to be a nuisance by taking this action to court in the USA but we don't think the court will allow itself to be used in this way."

Elektrim insisted it had acted completely within the law throughout the long-running battle over PTC.