Did Bernie lie?

[WhiteBlue]

Is Germany's implementation of the OECD Anti Bribery Convention retrospective? I doubt it. If so then its irrelevant to this case.

That question is not relevant because the German penal code already foresees penalties for bribing a public official.

§ 334 Bestechung
Wer einem Amtsträger, einem für den öffentlichen Dienst besonders Verpflichteten oder einem Soldaten der Bundeswehr einen Vorteil für diesen oder einen Dritten als Gegenleistung dafür anbietet, verspricht oder gewährt, daß er eine Diensthandlung vorgenommen hat oder künftig vornehme und dadurch seine Dienstpflichten verletzt hat oder verletzen würde, wird mit Freiheitsstrafe von drei Monaten bis zu fünf Jahren bestraft. In minder schweren Fällen ist die Strafe Freiheitsstrafe bis zu zwei Jahren oder Geldstrafe.

If sentenced under the code Bernie could go to jail between three months and five years. Only lesser cases will be punished by fines. The Griebkowski bribery wasn't a lesser case. In fact it was the biggest bribe ever paid to public knowledge in Germany.

[turbof1]

Again, we're speaking about a 80+ year old person. He will not end up in prison.

[Gridlock]

Not prison, but maybe the same in F1 terms is inevitable - wherever Flav and Ron are. Polite exile for the good of the show, complete with a "working on the road cars"-like euphemism.

Justin King's name being out there is a signal to entities that wouldn't touch Bernie with a bargepole that there's someone new on the horizon. The timeline is probably already in place, if not the person.

[Richard]

That question is not relevant because the German penal code already foresees penalties for bribing a public official.

Exactly, he could only be guilty under the law at the time of the offence. The new rules to align with the OECD won't be relevant for this case.

[marcush.]

The real problem for Ecclestone and Dai is the cast of doubt over Formula1 compliance to standards of conduct fixed in modern industrial conglomerates.
DAI is forced to severe its links with people who do or have not acted along those lines of conduct -the female board member in DAI is solely responsible to check if everyone in the company adheres to those rules...mind you everyone at DAI gets- first activity when joining - a training what is ok and what is not ok under those rules ...and it´s already a invitation to a meal or a soccer game a present a little too expensive -say 50€- that may break your neck...so even if there was some privileges for the top guys it still is a major point of concern with not much in terms of tolerance available...
Ecclestone is toast and he knows.
MGPs future is somewhat secure because of the austrian ownership but what about the engine business?this all will at one point go totally out of bernies hands in 2014 if not earlier....

[Hail22]

Daimler legal aid does not rule out Mercedes exit from Formula 1 pending Ecclestone trial:

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/56662/ ... -raikkonen

[WhiteBlue]

Daimler legal aid does not rule out Mercedes exit from Formula 1 pending Ecclestone trial:
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/56662/ ... -raikkonen

That is a repeat of a very old story. Mercedes have explained that situation before. They are committed to stick to a certain code of conduct that includes not doing business with companies that are involved in bribery and other forms of corruption. Daimler have already pointed that out a year ago when they were locking horns with Bernie over the commercial conditions of the concord. One can imagine that it was simply regurgitated by someone for unknown purposes. I don't think it is of any significance right now. Nothing will change unless the prosecutors in Germany make their move or the legal process in New York produces results.

[kaller]

Again, we're speaking about a 80+ year old person. He will not end up in prison.

If he claims he is still able mentally and physically to run a business like F1 his age should not be a matter and he should be sentenced like everybody else.

[marcush.]

Bribery with officials is a severe case in germany ,question is -was Gribkovski an official or wa he just employed by the bank -which is or was at least partly in possession of bavaria .
you still are not allowed to take advantage from your doings and very important -not allowed to offer incentives above what is caled a normal present ...this may well be something expensive and still be ok but surely millions of € is not within this ruling .
in my view Ecclestone is toast sooner or later-or DAI has to quit...simple as that.

[WhiteBlue]

Bribery with officials is a severe case in germany ,question is -was Gribkovski an official or wa he just employed by the bank -which is or was at least partly in possession of bavaria ...

I think it was already made clear that Griebkowski for legal purposes was a public official. The Bayrische Landesbank was owned by the state of Bavaria and the officers of the bank - of which Griebkowski was one - are all regarded as public officials by the law.

The last I have heard about the case is that there is a delay now because the files have to be translated from German to English. That will take a while. When you serve someone with an indictment the time allowances must consider that you give the other party all the information and time needed to make a fair defence. So a fair trial for Bernie will involve time for his defence team to study the Griebkowski trial papers, translate them to English and advise Ecclestone what to do about it. It looks to me that they make moves to be ready for an arrest - if one makes sense - in time for the German GP. That is not such a long time to wait for.

I'm actually a bit curious whether Bernie will bother at all to come to Germany for the race. It is easier to arrest him if he shows up. We will know soon enough.

[Cam]

From a PR point of view, is it better to hand himself in or wait for the international arrest warrant (if that happens)? Surely he will go? F1 doesn't need a manhunt or another embassy love in.

[MOWOG]

Maybe he can bunk it with Julian The Strange?

[db__]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23344423

German prosecutors have indicted Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone for alleged bribery.

The charge relates to a $44m (£29m) payment to a German banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky of Bayern Landesbank. It was linked to the sale of a stake in F1.

Mr Ecclestone said he had paid Mr Gribkowsky to avoid a UK tax inquiry into the sale of Formula 1 in 2006, but denied the payments were bribes.

Mr Gribkowsky was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in jail in Munich.

Speaking to the Financial Times on Wednesday, Mr Ecclestone said: "I have just spoken to my lawyers and they have received an indictment. It's being translated into English."

Asked how he responded to the indictment, he said: "We are defending it properly. It will be an interesting case. It's a pity it's happened."

Mr Ecclestone said it was "inevitable" that the indictment had been served. "If someone wants to sue you, they can do it and you have to defend it," he said

[FW17]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23344423

German prosecutors have indicted Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone for alleged bribery.

The charge relates to a $44m (£29m) payment to a German banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky of Bayern Landesbank. It was linked to the sale of a stake in F1.

Mr Ecclestone said he had paid Mr Gribkowsky to avoid a UK tax inquiry into the sale of Formula 1 in 2006, but denied the payments were bribes.

Mr Gribkowsky was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in jail in Munich.

Speaking to the Financial Times on Wednesday, Mr Ecclestone said: "I have just spoken to my lawyers and they have received an indictment. It's being translated into English."

Asked how he responded to the indictment, he said: "We are defending it properly. It will be an interesting case. It's a pity it's happened."

Mr Ecclestone said it was "inevitable" that the indictment had been served. "If someone wants to sue you, they can do it and you have to defend it," he said

Hope bail is set at $1 billion

[MOWOG]

Hope bail is set at $1 billion

Ummmm.....a billion is pocket change to Bernard. What I find intriguing is that his cover story seems like it is an admission of a criminal act in and of itself. How likely is it that someone would pay $41,000,000 to another person just to get him to not drop the dime and call the British tax authorities if he had done nothing wrong?