A judgment in the case is expected next week but Gribkowsky can expect up to
nine years in jail. Presiding judge Peter Noll had promised Gribkowsky a
lighter sentence of between seven years and 10 months and nine years if he
confessed.
It remains to be seen how Gribkowsky’s plea affects Ecclestone.
Formula
One’s most powerful figure remains a “suspect” under German law,
facing investigation, but no formal charges have ever been brought and he
has repeatedly denied paying bribes.
In testimony in Munich last November, Ecclestone admitted that he and his
family trust, Bambino Holdings, had paid the £28million but claimed they
were “shaken down” by Gribkowsky, who they said had threatened to go to HM
Revenue Customs with false evidence that Ecclestone was more involved
in the running of Bambino than he should have been.
Ecclestone claimed this could have cost him billions.
Gribkowsky countered that version of events yesterday, saying Ecclestone had
told him at a first meeting in May 2005 that “the practice in Formula One is
that you scratch my back and I scratch yours”. He added that Ecclestone had
threatened to take Formula One business away from BayernLB.
Ecclestone said last night that he was unconcerned by the latest developments
in Germany, insisting that Gribkowsky was simply lying about the money in an
effort to shorten his sentence.
“I suppose he would say that [about receiving bribes], so maybe he gets seven
years instead of 14 years,” Ecclestone said. “The poor guy has been banged
up for 18 months. He would have said anything to save himself. He was going
to be locked up whatever happens.”
If Munich’s state prosecutors decide to go after Ecclestone, sources have
indicated they might try to agree a financial settlement rather than go
through a lengthy and costly trial with a billionaire in his eighties.
Should they press charges, it remains unclear what action, if any, CVC will
decide to take. Ecclestone told The Daily Telegraph earlier this year that
the private equity firm “could get rid of me tomorrow if it wanted to”.
These are extremely delicate times in the sport. CVC has sold more than
£1.3billion worth of shares over the past few months ahead of a mooted
flotation on the Singapore stock exchange later this year, although it says
it intends to remain F1’s controlling shareholder. CVC declined to comment
on Wednesday night.
Ecclestone said he was fully prepared to travel out to Munich to repeat his
testimony but conceded that, with the possible flotation and with
negotiations continuing with teams and the FIA over a new Concorde Agreement
— the commercial pact that binds Formula One’s stakeholders — the timing was
not good.
“I’m bloody busy at the moment so the last thing I need is to go back out
there,” Ecclestone said.