Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone pleads guilty to fraud

LONDON (AP) — Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone admitted fraud at a court hearing Thursday after prosecutors charged him with failing to declare millions of dollars held in a trust in Singapore to Britain’s government.

The 92-year-old billionaire, who wore a dark suit, said “I plead guilty” at Southwark Crown Court in central London.

Ecclestone headed Formula One racing and controlled the sport for for four decades from the 1970s to 2017, when he stepped down as chief executive and Liberty Media took over the series.

Prosecutors allege he failed to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank account containing around $650 million when he was asked about any trusts abroad that he was involved in.

They say that Ecclestone claimed he had set up “only a single trust” in favor of his three daughters, and that he was “not the settler nor beneficiary of any trust in or outside the U.K.” Prosecutors say he acted “dishonestly” and intended to make a gain from the claims.

“He now accepts that some tax is due in relation to these matters,” prosecutor Richard Wright said.

Ecclestone had pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this year.