Bernie Ecclestone bribery trial begins in Germany

[webfact]

Bernie Ecclestone bribery trial begins in Germany

MUNICH: -- Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is set to appear at the start of a trial on bribery charges in Munich.

He is accused of giving a $45m (£27.5m; 33m euros) bribe to a German banker to secure the sale of a stake in the F1 business for a company he favoured.

Mr Ecclestone admits paying Gerhard Gribkowsky, who is serving a jail sentence for receiving the payment, but has denied any wrongdoing.

He continues to run the F1 business on a day-to-day basis despite the charges.

To alleviate his workload, however, Mr Ecclestone has stood down from a number of F1-related positions until the case concludes.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27136709


-- BBC 2014-04-24

[bangkokheat]

good good good, i think its time he stepped down from f1 before he does anymore damage to the sport, if convicted he may face criminal charges and perhaps have no choice about his position in f1

[MDS]

If you want a Grand Prix in your country you have to make it worthwhile for Bernie.

Only person that's worse is Sepp Blater. A world cup in the middle east in summer !!!!

[Chicog]

If you want a Grand Prix in your country you have to make it worthwhile for Bernie.

So? It's a business, not a charity. And essentially he is the one that made it into a global sport with a massive following.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Chicog

[GentlemanJim]

Money and power is highly toxic to most. The more you have the more you want.

I think Tolkien was not far off the mark when he came up with the obsession of man for 'the ring', my precsssious seems to be an effective metaphor for the power that some men desire so constantly. Bernie should have been in luxurious James Bond style retirement years ago. It does not look too good for him right now as one man is in jail for this already and I bet the prosecution will be calling him as a witness. I guess if the defence team thinks the odds are stacked against him he will be off on that paradise island retirement soon enough, I can't see him willingly doing a 5-10 year stretch at this time in his life.

[Lokie]

Bent as a 9 Bob Note (and I don't mean a Shirt-Lifter)

Money Talks, Bernie would do very well in LOS, although he is probably far too corrupt for them lol...

Edited April 24, 2014 by Lokie

[RubbaJohnny]

Pole position ,a fine example of UK enterprise and shows that LOS is not unique in performance,at least he didn't waste his time tossing of a balcony like so many failed racers.

[transam]

If you want a Grand Prix in your country you have to make it worthwhile for Bernie.

So? It's a business, not a charity. And essentially he is the one that made it into a global sport with a massive following.

F1 would still be F1 without this guy.......................

[RubbaJohnny]

Bent as a 9 Bob Note (and I don't mean a Shirt-Lifter)

Money Talks, Bernie would do very well in LOS, although he is probably far too corrupt for them lol...

just the man for next regime,fast and loose consultant,express fleecing gold card and money pitstop.

The non stop whacky races that is the annual Songkran Grand Prix needs a marial like Bernie and max Mosely could sport his German attire so beloved here.

[Lokie]

Bent as a 9 Bob Note (and I don't mean a Shirt-Lifter)

Money Talks, Bernie would do very well in LOS, although he is probably far too corrupt for them lol...

just the man for next regime,fast and loose consultant,express fleecing gold card and money pitstop.

The non stop whacky races that is the annual Songkran Grand Prix needs a marial like Bernie and max Mosely could sport his German attire so beloved here.

Ahh... dear old Max, now there's a Kinky fellow, and he's old man Oswald was not averse to dressing up and stirring up a bit of $hit back in the day, but alas Bernie nailed Max's hat on a few years back, just an Hobbit with a big bank roll of bent money. F1 would be an amazing spectacle if this dwarf had not held the power over it he has in the past 20 years. Best days were the turbo charged mid 70s - mid 80s, Lauda, Hunt, Prost, Senna, Mansell, Piqet etc

I remember a live BBC F1 broadcast in the 80s with Murray Walker & James Hunt commentating; Murray Walker babbling on about a BMW, over to you 'James' - What complete Bo llo x$ Murray, was Hunts reply (this live on the beeb) priceless! proper racer, parties, booze, cigarettes and plenty of women, then jump in a car and win a F1 race, that was James Hunt, people loved him or hated him.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Lokie

[Basil B]

If you want a Grand Prix in your country you have to make it worthwhile for Bernie.

So? It's a business, not a charity. And essentially he is the one that made it into a global sport with a massive following.

As MDS said: worthwhile for Bernie. not F1.

This is a sport that has been hijacked and milked so a few can get rich.

I hope the taxman is tacking an interest, you do not have that sort of money to pass about in bribes if you keep proper books.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Basil B

[nonthaburial]

F1 is now a mediocre tv spectacle, it is boring, it's mainly predictable and personally I hope this greasy midget arrogant weasel gets put down. And the same as any sport once he is locked up, may the not corrupt F1 committee reform to make F1 respectable again.

[Basil B]

Seems this guy has got of lightly with the UK taxman.

F1's Ecclestone avoided potential £1.2bn tax bill

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has avoided a potential £1.2bn tax bill as a result of a secret deal with HMRC

The deal involved a payment of just £10m, according to legal transcripts obtained by BBC Panorama.

Revenue & Customs spent nine years investigating the Ecclestone family's tax affairs before offering to settle in return for the payment from the family trusts in 2008.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27144637

Edited April 28, 2014 by Basil B

[Basil B]

BBC's Panorama investigates Bernie...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b042rbmg/Panorama_Bernie_Ecclestone_Lies_Bribes_and_Formula_One/

[oldsailor35]

OMG What do you expect from an old used car salesman