A German media company will appeal the verdict in Bernie Ecclestone’s London civil case amid the F1 bribery scandal.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, the high court judge dismissed Constantin Medien’s $140 million claim against the F1 chief executive, but did find that the 83-year-old had been “corrupt” and paid a “bribe” to jailed banker Gerhard Gribkowsky.<\/p>\n
“The judge ruled against Constantin essentially on technical grounds, including extremely complicated questions of German law which is the governing law in the case,” Constantin’s lawyers said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“Constantin will be appealing those findings,” they added.<\/p>\n
In further blows to Ecclestone, who now faces a criminal trial in Germany that could see him jailed, the judge on Thursday found the diminutive Briton to have been an “unreliable” witness.<\/p>\n
“If I was unreliable, I’m lucky to be as successful as we have been,” the billionaire hit back, according to the BBC.<\/p>\n
Ecclestone said he has “no idea” if the judge’s comments will hurt his chances of success in Germany later this year.<\/p>\n
“I suppose the judge in Munich will base his findings on what he thinks, not on what somebody else thinks,” he is quoted by the Daily Express newspaper.<\/p>\n
“It (the British verdict) was nothing to do with whether I did or didn’t tell the truth, or whether I was unreliable or not,” Ecclestone added.<\/p>\n
A statement issued by his lawyers said the fact the judge found Ecclestone paid a “bribe” does not mean the German trial will have the same outcome.<\/p>\n
“This (a civil suit) is a much lower standard of proof than would apply in a criminal case,” it read.<\/p>\n
“The judge’s opinion (was) expressed in the light of hearing only partial evidence that has not been properly tested.”<\/p>\n
Ecclestone dared Constantin to push ahead with the appeal.<\/p>\n
“We will be able to bring in all the people we should have brought in, but who we didn’t think were needed, and we will be able to defend it in a much better way than we did before,” he said.<\/p>\n
However, although claiming victory in the Constantin affair, Thursday’s ruling has left the dark clouds over Ecclestone.<\/p>\n
Citing sources, the Daily Mail said the verdict preceded “frantic conference and telephone calls” between F1 board members, urging CVC director Donald Mackenzie “to end Ecclestone’s reign”.<\/p>\n
“It has run on too long and it needs Donald to deal with it immediately.\u00a0 Bernie’s position is untenable,” one source is quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
Writing in The Times, correspondent Kevin Eason concurred: “Some board directors have been shaken by the case and are known to be pressing for his (Ecclestone’s) removal.”<\/p>\n
Ecclestone said: “I have no idea whether I’ll be sacked.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t lie to the court.\u00a0 But even if I did lie and was unreliable, I have being doing a reasonably good job for 35 years.\u00a0 So why shouldn’t I carry on?” he added.<\/p>\n
Ecclestone was also in the headlines on Thursday for controversially backing Russian president Vladimir Putin on the question of homosexuality.<\/p>\n
“Putin hasn’t said he doesn’t agree with homosexuality,” he told CNN, “just that he doesn’t want these things publicised to an audience under the age of 18.<\/p>\n
“I completely agree with those sentiments and if you took a world census you’d find 90 per cent of the world agree with it as well,” Ecclestone added.<\/p>\n
“It may upset a few people but that’s how the world is.\u00a0 It’s how he sees the world and I think he’s completely right.”<\/p>\n
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