When last we heard from our intrepid Formula One honcho and Muppet King friend Bernie Ecclestone, he was on trial in Germany on accusations that he bribed a banker. Now the trial is over because Ecclestone just ponied up $100 million to the court.
That's right — in Germany, you can literally buy your way out of a criminal trial. It just rarely happens in the middle of a trial, and no one has ever paid as much to get out of one as Ecclestone.
The F1 mogul, who stepped down from the sport officially but still runs it on a day-to-day basis, was being tried for allegedly bribing a German businessman eight years ago to ensure a large stake in F1 was purchased by a company he favored. That businessman was sentenced to eight years in prison for accepting bribes.
But Ecclestone will escape that fate under a proviso in German law that allows a defendant to pay to end a trial.
he BBC reports a former German justice minister criticized the deal, and the law, saying it allows rich people to go free while less fortunate people have to go through the rigors of a trial. She called on lawmakers there to "tighten" the loophole.
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