No decision yet over Ecclestone bribery charge

Contrary to the latest media speculation, German prosecutors have not yet decided to charge Bernie Ecclestone with bribery.

The German news magazine Focus had claimed the Munich public office had, after a long investigation, finally made the decision to pursue the F1 chief executive officially.

Former F1 banker Gerhard Gribkowsky, who accepted Ecclestone’s millions in alleged bribes, is already in jail.

Focus said recent efforts to broker a ’deal’ between Ecclestone and the prosecutors, whereby the 82-year-old Briton is charged but given only a suspended sentence if he pays back the millions, had failed.

But chief prosecutor Thomas Steinkraus-Koch would not confirm the ’deal’ talks, and he further told DPA news agency that a decision about whether Ecclestone will be charged is still yet to be taken.