Tax Avoision?
Agreed, but the difference in terms is important. Tax avoidance wouldn't affect Bernie's business positions at all, tax evasion would have him in a lot of trouble.Although there is (and always has been) a very fine line between what is legal tax avoidance and what is tax evasion.....
Tax Avoision?
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111118/F1/111119810
The U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office in London on Friday formally confirmed that it is investigating Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone's dealings with Gerhard Gribkowsky, the German banker who is on trial in Munich. Gribkowsky is accused of receiving a $44 million “bribe” from Ecclestone in connection with the sale of Formula One in 2006.
A Serious Fraud Office spokesman said, “The SFO is aware of the allegations against Mr. Ecclestone and is liaising with the authorities in Germany to ascertain if there is a case to answer in the U.K.”
Meanwhile, there has been a significant development in Munich, where Gribkowsky's arrest has led to one of the biggest corruption trials in European history. Stephen Mullens, the British lawyer who recently resigned as a director of seven Formula One companies, has declined to give evidence to the court, which was told that he was exercising his right not to answer questions that might incriminate him.
Mullens, who quit Formula One in September, was involved in the deals involving Gribkowsky, Ecclestone and Bambino. He was also the legal adviser to the trust.
Guilty, gullible or greedy Bernie looks like he's in the soup - where is Max when you need a sneaky, but effective lawyer, and what will happen to F1 if the said Bernie is banged to rights?
Gerhard Gribkowsky, the banker at the centre of the corruption case relating to the sale of Formula 1, has admitted that he received bribes from the sport's commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone.
In a surprise development in the long-running case, Gribkowsky told a court in Munich that allegations he received $56 million (USD) in bribes from Ecclestone in 2006 and 2007 over the sale of F1 to current owners CVC were "essentially true".