Bernie Ecclestone’s blackmail defence came under attack on Friday, as the F1 chief executive returned to court in Munich.<\/p>\n
Ecclestone has claimed he made the disputed $44 million payment to Gerhard Gribkoswky only because the jailed F1 banker was threatening to release information to the British tax authorities.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors, however, allege 83-year-old Ecclestone bribed Gribkowsky in order to influence the sale of the sport’s commercial rights and remain in charge.<\/p>\n
On the witness stand on Friday was an investigator who interviewed Ecclestone during the Gribkowsky affair three years ago.<\/p>\n
Public prosecutor Martin Bauer suggested Ecclestone’s explanation of blackmail lacked detail.<\/p>\n
“It was never really clear what form this threat (from Gribkowsky) could have taken,” he is quoted by the Telegraph newspaper.<\/p>\n
“(It was) like a vanilla pudding that you can’t nail to the wall,” he added.<\/p>\n
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