Tuesday, August 19, 2014

THE PITS! (poem)

THE PITS!

Formula 1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone, paid a £60m
out-of-court ‘settlement charge’ to a German
Court to clear him of the charge of bribery.

“Please don’t deport me to the Scrubs,
For my alleged bribe bid; (1)
Find me ‘Not Guilty’ and I’ll pay,
Another lot by judgement day,
Of sixty-million quid”! 
“That’s small beer for the cash I’ve made,
For me and all my kin; (2)
Accept this lubrication and
Myself and all my greasy band,
Will take it on the chin”!

“As you can see, Herr Judge, I’m not,
The usual lowly crim;
My operation takes its cut,
Without me getting off my butt,
And profits from the skim”! 
“That’s why I’m able to afford,
To pay the court this ‘fee’;
It’s legally quite labyrinthine,
But ‘settlements’ that aren’t a ‘fine’,
Are more than fine with me”!

“It’s lucky I’m a billionaire, (3)
And not a working mug;
So I can pay for justice to,
Ensure me and my motley crew,
Stays free and out the jug”! 
“So if you’re charged with paying bribes,
And brought before the law;
It helps if one’s a wealthy toff,
To pay the prosecution off,
And make the law a whore”!

(1) Ecclestone admitted paying Gerhard
Gribkowsky $44m but denied it was a bribe.

(2) Ecclestone bought his two daughters properties
worth a total of £111m. His ex-wife, Slavica, 
received an estimated divorce settlement of £740m.

(3) Forbes estimate Ecclestone’s wealth at $4.2bn.

© Richard Layton  

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