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| F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone pays to end bribery trial | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A German court has agreed to end the bribery trial of Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in exchange for a $100m (£60m) payment from him. | A German court has agreed to end the bribery trial of Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in exchange for a $100m (£60m) payment from him. |
| Mr Ecclestone's offer was based on an existing provision in German law. | Mr Ecclestone's offer was based on an existing provision in German law. |
| Earlier on Tuesday German prosecutors accepted the offer from the 83-year-old billionaire who dominates motor racing. | Earlier on Tuesday German prosecutors accepted the offer from the 83-year-old billionaire who dominates motor racing. |
| He went on trial in April, accused of paying a German banker 33m euros (£26m; $44m) to ensure that a company he favoured could buy a stake in F1. | He went on trial in April, accused of paying a German banker 33m euros (£26m; $44m) to ensure that a company he favoured could buy a stake in F1. |
| He denies wrongdoing. | He denies wrongdoing. |
| The ruling means he walks free from the district court in Munich and can continue running the sport. It also means Mr Ecclestone is found neither guilty nor innocent. | The ruling means he walks free from the district court in Munich and can continue running the sport. It also means Mr Ecclestone is found neither guilty nor innocent. |
| His personal wealth is put at $4.2bn by Forbes, which ranks him as the 12th richest UK billionaire. | His personal wealth is put at $4.2bn by Forbes, which ranks him as the 12th richest UK billionaire. |
| If found guilty, he could have faced a 10-year jail term and the end of his decades-long dominance of motor racing. | If found guilty, he could have faced a 10-year jail term and the end of his decades-long dominance of motor racing. |
| A BayernLB banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky, was allegedly paid by Mr Ecclestone to ensure the F1 stake was bought by a company that he favoured, so that he would remain in charge of the sport. | A BayernLB banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky, was allegedly paid by Mr Ecclestone to ensure the F1 stake was bought by a company that he favoured, so that he would remain in charge of the sport. |
| Gribkowsky was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison in 2012 for accepting bribes. | Gribkowsky was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison in 2012 for accepting bribes. |
| Mr Ecclestone says the payment was given to Gribkowsky after the banker threatened to make false claims about the F1 boss's tax status. | Mr Ecclestone says the payment was given to Gribkowsky after the banker threatened to make false claims about the F1 boss's tax status. |
| Prosecutors said Mr Ecclestone's advanced age and other mitigating circumstances gave grounds to accept the $100m offer. | Prosecutors said Mr Ecclestone's advanced age and other mitigating circumstances gave grounds to accept the $100m offer. |
| 'That's do-able' | 'That's do-able' |
| Mr Ecclestone has attended most of the hearings in person and arrived at the courthouse on Tuesday in a limousine, looking relaxed and accompanied by his wife, Fabiana Flosi. | Mr Ecclestone has attended most of the hearings in person and arrived at the courthouse on Tuesday in a limousine, looking relaxed and accompanied by his wife, Fabiana Flosi. |
| Asked by Judge Peter Noll if he could raise the $100m, Mr Ecclestone replied "yes". When asked if the payment could be made within a week, his defence lawyer, Sven Thomas, said: "That's do-able." | Asked by Judge Peter Noll if he could raise the $100m, Mr Ecclestone replied "yes". When asked if the payment could be made within a week, his defence lawyer, Sven Thomas, said: "That's do-able." |
| Judge Noll ruled that $99m would go to the Bavarian state coffers while $1m would be donated to a children's hospital. The sum is believed to be a record for such a payment. | Judge Noll ruled that $99m would go to the Bavarian state coffers while $1m would be donated to a children's hospital. The sum is believed to be a record for such a payment. |
| Court spokesperson Andrea Titz said Mr Ecclestone: "The court did not consider a conviction overwhelmingly likely from the present point of view. | Court spokesperson Andrea Titz said Mr Ecclestone: "The court did not consider a conviction overwhelmingly likely from the present point of view. |
| "With this type of ending... there is no ruling on guilt or innocence of the defendant." | "With this type of ending... there is no ruling on guilt or innocence of the defendant." |
| 'Really insolent' | 'Really insolent' |
| Under German law defendants can in certain circumstances "buy" termination of a trial. | Under German law defendants can in certain circumstances "buy" termination of a trial. |
| The legal proviso exists in order to ease the burden on the courts and to deal with cases where reaching a judgment could prove difficult. | The legal proviso exists in order to ease the burden on the courts and to deal with cases where reaching a judgment could prove difficult. |
| However a lawyer quoted by the Spiegelonline website, Franz Bielefeld, said it was unusual for the clause to be invoked in mid-trial - more often it is done before a trial starts. | However a lawyer quoted by the Spiegelonline website, Franz Bielefeld, said it was unusual for the clause to be invoked in mid-trial - more often it is done before a trial starts. |
| Former Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, of the Liberal FDP party, criticised use of the loophole in the Ecclestone case, saying it was "not just bad taste - it's really insolent". | Former Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, of the Liberal FDP party, criticised use of the loophole in the Ecclestone case, saying it was "not just bad taste - it's really insolent". |
| She said it allowed rich people to go free, whereas the less well-heeled could face prison. | She said it allowed rich people to go free, whereas the less well-heeled could face prison. |