Polanski to Remain in Swiss Jail Until Friday

GSTAAD, Switzerland, Dec. 1, 2009 — -- Filmmaker Roman Polanski will have to wait until Friday before being allowed to depart a Zurich prison cell for his sumptuous chalet in the Swiss Alps under house arrest, the Swiss Federal Justice office confirmed today.

The reason for the hold-up is a delay in transferring the $4.5 million bail money needed to secure the terms of his house arrest, according to the Federal Justice Office spokesman, Folco Galli.

"The documentation process has already been complete and the electronic surveillance will only be activated once Mr. Polanski is in his chalet in Gstaad," Galli told ABC News.

Here in the luxury ski resort of Gstaad, where Polanski' chalet is located, the mood has quieted down from the flurry of press that anticipated his arrival yesterday.

The rather quaintly named Milky Way chalet is where the Academy award-winning director will serve out the terms of his house arrest while awaiting possible extradition to the U.S., bringing to an end a 31-year stint as a fugitive, on the run from American authorities for having unlawful sex with a 13 year-old girl in 1977.

Over the weekend, a security van was seen at the chalet installing devices to ensure Polanski does not bolt from his home. He will be required to wear a tagging device so he can be monitored and will sound an alarm to the authorities if he does try to flee..

Once the $4.5 million bail is paid to secure the transfer, the 76-year-old filmmaker will be allowed to conduct his personal affairs as he pleases – providing he doesn't leave the confines of his home

In addition to the bail money, Polanski will have to cough-up an additional $2,000 for the installation of security devices as well as a monthly charge of $200 for the upkeep of his detention.

His present abode, a simple cell in a prison just outside of Zurich, could not be more different from the well-appointed three-story home he has here in the Swiss Alps. Gstaad has long been famed as a place where the international jet-set congregate every year for skiing, schmoozing and lavish parties behind the closed doors of the magnificent chalets that grace the picturesque mountains.