Former Formula 1 owner Bernie Ecclestone has been told he will have to wait until next October to hear about the fraud case, in which he is a suspect. The Briton is no longer the youngest and will have to appear in court at the age of 93.
Ecclestone appeared before Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday. The former sports boss was accused of withholding figures between 13 July 2013 and 5 October 2016. In August, Ecclestone acquitted himself in a case in which he is believed to have failed to declare £400m.
Treatment next year
During Tuesday’s trial, Judge Deborah Taylor set a trial date for October 9 next year. The trial is expected to last six weeks, which will include Ecclestone’s 93rd birthday. Courts can, given the age of the British, carry out a case in half a day. Judge Taylor also stated that Ecclestone may not need to be present all the time.
The case against Ecclestone is the product of a complex global criminal investigation by HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service. One indictment alleges that Ecclestone did not tell HMRC the full truth. He is said to have said that he only set up one fund for his assets for the benefit of his daughter and that there were no additional funds outside the UK. However, HMRC lost its declaration of funds in Singapore and a judge will consider it next year.
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