Ecclestone faces bribery charges: Formula One boss alleged to have made secret payments to German banker Bernie Ecclestone accused of making the payments when he sold sport £27m allegedly went to Gerhard Gribkowsky, who helped organise sale The billionaire could go on trial in Germany as early as April 23 Legal action: Bernie Ecclestone is to stand trial in a Munich court on bribery charges, it was claimed last night Bernie Ecclestone is to stand trial in a Munich court on bribery charges, it was claimed last night. The Formula One boss is alleged to have made secret payments to a German banker when he sold part of his financial interest in the motor sport. The £27million allegedly went to Gerhard Gribkowsky, who was involved in organising the sale in 2005. He was jailed for more than eight years in 2012 for tax evasion and bribery. Mr Ecclestone's trial has been provisionally scheduled to open on April 23. However, an out-of-court settlement could still be negotiated that would delay the filing of formal charges, the precise nature of which remain unclear. Mr Ecclestone, 83, is also a defendant at a High Court case in London at which a German media group has accused the F1 chief executive of conspiring to undervalue the sport when it was sold to CVC Capital Partners. Christian Horner, boss of the Red Bull Racing F1 team and a confidant of Mr Ecclestone, yesterday insisted he remained the right person to run the sport regardless of his legal difficulties. Sources said the 83-year-old will step down from the board of the company which runs the sport pending the outcome of the trial. But he will remain in charge of F1"s day-to-day management. Family: British magnate Ecclestone has two children, Tamara, left, and Petra Ecclestone, right, has made billions, but started out buying and selling motorcycle parts A statement is expected from the Munich prosecutor's office as early as today confirming the opening of formal proceedings. They are understood to centre on allegations that Mr Ecclestone tried to bribe a public official. Mr Gribkowsky's employer, Bayerische Landesbank, was a state-backed lender. Christian Horner, boss of the Red Bull Racing F1 team and a confidant of Mr Ecclestone, yesterday insisted he remained the right person to run the sport regardless of his legal difficulties The trial will represent the latest of several legal setbacks to confront Mr Ecclestone in recent times. He is a defendant at a High Court case in London at which a German media group has accused the F1 chief executive of conspiring to undervalue the sport when it was sold to CVC Capital Partners nearly a decade ago. Ecclestone was the son of a fisherman who grew up in rural Suffolk. He has clawed his way up from humble beginnings, leaving school at 16 to work at the local gasworks. After the Second World War, he went into business trading spare motorcycle parts, forming the Compton & Ecclestone dealership in Bexleyheath, Kent. His family's fortune is estimated to be in excess of £2.3billion.