he never worries much about what others think and hes not afraid to say | Forum
miaowang123
Dec 15 '17
LONDON -- Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone on Wednesday disputed paying a bribe to ensure he stayed in control of the glamorous motorsport series, and then fabricating the reason to pay a banker. Dwight Clark Jersey . Under cross-examination at the High Court in London, Ecclestone said he was blackmailed by the banker tasked with selling a significant stake in F1, and paid him off to avoid being reported to the authorities over his tax affairs. "I made up my mind he needed to be kept quiet," Ecclestone said after claiming he was "shaken down" by BayernLBs Gerhard Gribkowsky. Former F1 shareholder Constantin Medien contests that Ecclestone and his family trust entered into a "corrupt bargain" with Gribkowsky to ensure BayernLBs 47 per cent F1 stake was sold in 2005 to the buyer desired by the sports long-standing commercial chief. Gribkowsky received an alleged bribe totalling US$44 million which led to investment group CVC Capital Partners acquiring the stake. Constantin Medien, a German media company, is suing Ecclestone and other defendants for up to $144 million, claiming F1 was undervalued by the BayernLB deal. Ecclestone maintained Wednesday that at the time of the deal -- and now -- he was not trying to safeguard his own future in F1, insisting he doesnt "want to die as CEO" of F1. "As long as I have got control of the company I will continue to be there ... I am in a fortunate position -- I dont need a job," Ecclestone said. Asked by Constantin Medien lawyer Philip Marshall about the prospect of retirement, the 83-year-old Ecclestone replied: "I dont mind, Ive got plenty of things to do." In a case that could threaten Ecclestones future with F1, a German court is deciding whether he will stand trial on charges of bribery and incitement to breach of trust. Ecclestones legal team maintains that a "consultancy package" was paid to Gribkowsky, who was jailed in Germany last year for 8 1/2 years for taking the payment. In the High Court, Ecclestone was asked why he responded to the apparent blackmail threat by seeking the advice of an in-house accountant rather than lawyers, and did not approach the police. "It doesnt make any sense," Marshall said. "You are in a situation where you are being asked to pay millions of dollars over a threat or an insinuation that may cause you tax problems. You dont ask any of the lawyers ... thats just something (a reason) you fabricated. You have made it up." Ecclestone, appearing for the first time in person in the second week of the civil trial, spoke quietly at times and regularly banged the desk as he grew increasingly frustrated with questioning. Ecclestone said he was happy to pay Gribkowsky $22.5 million himself to avoid any potential tax investigation, and saw little point in contacting the police. "I wanted to get rid of (Gribkowsky) making silly statements," Ecclestone said. Ecclestone built his powerbase in F1 from the 1970s and helped to create the Formula One Constructors Association that controlled the business side of the series, including selling the TV rights. The British-based company later became known as Formula One Management. CVC, having amassed a 63 per cent stake of F1, has reduced its holding as other investors have come on board in recent years, although a planned flotation has stalled. Constantin Medien is claiming it lost out due to the deal negotiated by Gribkowsky. Gribkowsky is a defendant in the case along with Ecclestones lawyer, Stephen Mullens, and the Ecclestone family trust, Bambino Holdings. Dontae Johnson Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors reserve centre Ognjen Kuzmic is expected to miss at least six weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured right hand. Colin Kaepernick Jersey . - Mathew Barzal scored 3:47 into overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds downed the visiting Everett Silvertips 4-3 on Tuesday in Western Hockey League playoff action.TORONTO - Toronto FC went 1-2-2 during an injury-plagued Florida training camp, coming home to a frozen tundra. Star striker Jermain Defoe has yet to touch down and fellow marquee signings Michael Bradley and Gilberto have been hampered by injury. Goalie Julio Cesar is on international duty with Brazil in South Africa and backup forward Bright Dike is already probably out for the season after tendon surgery. Manager Ryan Nelsen has been down three fullbacks and three strikers. Minor niggles have turned into more bothersome setbacks. Its meant extra minutes for some players and new positions for others. For an MLS franchise that has gone all-in on the transfer market in a bid to finally make the playoffs after seven seasons of failure and a woeful 51-105-66 record, there is still much work to do. The good news is Toronto has a bye this weekend when 16 clubs kick off the 2014 season. Toronto opens March 15 in Seattle. "We planned that brilliantly," Nelsen said dryly after practice Tuesday under the bubble at the teams well-appointed north Toronto training ground. Nelsen, in his second year at the helm, has managed to find some positives in the rocky pre-season. "It did expose our weaknesses," he said. "You always get exposed at some part of the season, whether its injuries or suspensions or international call-ups or something like that." "We know what we have, we know what we need to be and where we need to get to," he added. "Its good to know now rather than a quarter or halfway through the season. "Well be a different animal come the 15th but in the back of my mind, its a nice thing to know moving forward." Depth is an issue. Toronto can field an impressive starting 11 but pre-season has already shown that the wrong combination of injuries at the wrong position can cause havoc. The team remains very much a work in progress. Even MLSsoccer.com, which ranked TFC 17th out of 19 teams in its weekly "power rankings," has Toronto 14th in its pre-season lisst. Eric Reid Jersey. "Were not all aboard the bandwagon just yet," said the website. Nelsen, whose team went 6-17-11 last season, says he doesnt concern himself with "outside voices." But the former New Zealand international knows that whipping up a gourmet meal is more than just buying the right ingredients. "Just because you make some changes, its not like a light switch. It does take time," he said. "Thats the beauty of sport. "But in saying that we fully expect to get where we want to be. And if you think the expectations are high outside, theyre probably higher inside. But we know its hard and we know its a journey to get to." The pre-season injury list has included forwards Gilberto (quadricep) and Dike (tendon), midfielders Jonathan Osorio (flu) and Daniel Lovitz (knee) and fullbacks Mark Bloom (quadricep), Bradley Orr (calf) and Justin Morrow (hip). Bradley, who withdrew from the U.S squad to face Ukraine in Cyprus, is nursing a minor foot issue. More worrying for Nelsen is the fact that the injuries to Bloom and Orr started as minor issues but got worse. "Well definitely be addressing it," Nelsen said. "You always get niggles and you always get injuries but theyre re-injuries. When you re-do an injury, its major cause for concern." Nelsen expects everyone to be ready for the season. Defoe, the former Tottenham star, is expected to join the team after Wednesdays England friendly against Denmark. "As soon as he plays the game for England, hell be on a plane over," said Nelsen. Still, that means a longer road for team chemistry. Although, unlike past off-seasons, Torontos transaction list has been relatively short and very select. Bradley, Defoe, Gilberto, Cesar, Morrow, Jackson, Orr, and veteran midfielder Dwayne De Rosario are all targeted as starters. The injuries at fullback have meant rookie centre back Nick Hagglund has been shifted to an emergency right back. "Couldnt be more happy with Nick," said Nelsen. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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