Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has been charged by German prosecutors with alleged bribery in connection with the sale of a stake in the global racing series.
Ecclestone has been under investigation since a German banker was convicted of taking an illegal payment from him worth $44 million.
Ecclestone told the Munich state court he felt pressured into paying the cash in 2006 because he was worried that Gerhard Gribkowsky would report him to British tax authorities.
The court said in a statement on Wednesday that Ecclestone had been charged with bribery and incitement to breach of trust in connection with Gribkowsky’s management of BayernLB’s stake in F1. It said the indictment was dated on May 10 and has since been translated into English and delivered to Ecclestone and his lawyers.
“The lawyers have accepted an indictment,” Ecclestone told the Associated Press. “It means they have to reply to the indictment which they are strenuously doing.”
In addition to taking the money from Ecclestone, Gribkowsky used BayernLB’s funds to pay the F1 chief a commission of $41.4 million and agreed to pay a further $25 million to Bambino Trust, a company with which Ecclestone was affiliated, prosecutors maintained during the trial.
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Froome clinches Stage 17
Chorges (France), July 17: Chris Froome narrowly beat Alberto Contador to win the 17th stage of the Tour de France in a rainy time-trial and extend his overall lead on Wednesday.
The British rider was slower than Contador on the first part of the undulating 32-kilometre course, from Embrun to Chorges in the French Alps, but gained time on the final section to finish nine seconds ahead of the Spaniard and clinch his third stage win of the race. Froome, who has also won two mountain stages, made up for last week when he was edged out by Tony Martin in the first time-trial on Stage 11. — ap