Ex-Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone denies fraud charge

LONDON (AP) — Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has denied a charge of fraud over his alleged failure to declare overseas assets worth more than 400 million pounds ($473 million.) Ecclestone, 91, entered a not guilty plea as he appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London for a brief hearing Monday. Prosecutors authorized a charge of fraud by false representation between July 2013 and October 2016 after British tax officials carried out a worldwide investigation into Ecclestone’s finances. The business magnate was granted unconditional bail ahead of his next appearance at Southwark Crown Court on Sept. 19. Ecclestone headed Formula One racing and controlled the sport for for four decades from the 1970s to 2017.