Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has been given a 17-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to fraud. He was accused of failing to declare over £400 million in overseas assets to the UK government. Ecclestone had initially denied the charges but changed his plea at a case management hearing in Southwark crown court in London. Prosecutors revealed that he would pay £652 million to HM Revenue and Customs, the UK’s tax authority. In addition to the suspended sentence, he was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £74,000. The judge considered the seriousness of the offense but took into account factors such as Ecclestone’s age, health, and the impact of imprisonment on his young child. Ecclestone ran Formula One until 2017 when it was sold to Liberty Media.
Ecclestone was accused of fraud for not declaring a trust in Singapore, claiming he had only established one single trust in favor of his daughters. During a meeting with tax officers in July 2015, he answered “no” when asked about links to additional trusts but later admitted that this response was misleading. His defense barrister stated that Ecclestone deeply regretted the events that led to the criminal trial.
Ecclestone’s wife, Fabiana, who holds positions within motorsport governing bodies, has accompanied him to court. He has three adult daughters and a young son. The charge stemmed from a complex, worldwide criminal investigation by HM Revenue and Customs.
By FCCT Editorial Team
, an independent military force, and allied militias in Sudan raped several dozen women and girls in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, and those fleeing to Chad between late April and late June 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The assailants appear to have targeted people because of their Massalit ethnicity and, in some cases, because they were known activists.){kind=link}