However, in the second day of proceedings in Munich, prosecutors claimed there
is little evidence of what form this threat took.
“It was never really clear what form this threat could have taken,” said
Martin Bauer, a public prosecutor who took evidence from Ecclestone after
the arrest of Gribkowsky in 2011. Bauer added that Ecclestone had spoken of
Gribkowsky making things uncomfortable for him without specifying the means.
“[It’s] like a vanilla pudding that you can’t nail to the wall,” said Bauer.
Gribkowsky was jailed for 8½-years for his role in the affair, and in the
judge’s concluding remarks he said: “In this process we assume the driving
force was Mr Ecclestone.” The same judge, Peter Noll, is presiding over
Ecclestone’s trial.
Ecclestone, who denies all charges against him, once again listened to the
hearing through an interpreter. His wife, Fabiana Flosi, was in court,
sitting alone in the public seats, before joining Ecclestone and his lawyers
in the courthouse cafeteria for lunch.
The trial will not only threaten his control of the sport but also his
freedom, with a 10-year jail sentence possible if found guilty. He is
charged with bribery and incitement to breach of trust.
Donald Mackenzie, the co-founder of CVC, said in the High Court last year that
Ecclestone would be fired if he was found guilty.
The alleged bribes were made between July 2006 and December 2007. Proceedings
will continue on May 9 and are scheduled to finish on Sept 16. Gribkowsky’s
testimony is expected to last three days.