Dean Attew, who The Times describes as a "London-based business intelligence consultant", uncovered the plot. Attew formerly assisted Ecclestone with "a wide variety of issues concerning...business and family affairs," and still feels some loyalty to the Formula One owner. Now employed by Titon International, the company that was employing ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko when he was poisoned and in whose office traces of Polonium-210 were found, Attew was approached to assist in the plot to bring down Mosley by unnamed parties. Fearing that the plot could harm his former boss as well, he then brought that information to Ecclestone.

"Dean, you are not going to find anything because there's nothing there - he's Mr Boring in that sense," Ecclestone told Attew upon learning of the plot. Since the release of the Max Mosley sex video, Mosley has done nothing to address suggestions that Ecclestone was involved with the attempt to publicly discredit him, leaving Attew to feel under-appreciated for his efforts. [via The Times]

The Times goes on to report that "the clear majority of team managers" think that Mosley's refusal to resign is hurting the sport. According to the paper, the Monaco Royal Family have expressed similar concerns. Mosley was ordered by the Royal family of Bahrain not to attend their F1 round, didn't attend the Spanish Grand Prix for fear of embarrassing King Juan Carlos and the Turkish Prime Minister's office approached Bernie Ecclestone to ensure their boss wouldn't encounter the besieged FIA President.

FIA's general assembly will meet on June 3rd for a vote of no confidence in their President. [via The Times]

The accusation was made by Radovan Novak, head of the Czech Automobile Association and one of Mosley's close friends. Speaking during a radio interview he's quoted as saying, "When the FIA, from the proposal of Mosley, fined someone significantly, then it gives you the feeling that it could be like that."

Dennis was quick to issue a response:

"I categorically deny that I have anything to do with the News of the World investigation into Mr. Mosley. Neither does anyone connected with the McLaren Group or the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, and neither does any agent or any other party acting on my behalf or anyone connected with the McLaren Group or the team. We are writing to Mr. Novak and are currently considering the appropriate route via which the remarks that have been attributed to him may be withdrawn or corrected."

The orgy characterized by NOTW as having a "Nazi theme" took place on Friday at a $4 million apartment-cum-dungeon near Mosley's home in London's upscale Chelsea neighborhood.

As President of FIA, Mosley is responsible for overseeing international motor sports, including Formula One. He enjoys a close relationship with F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Mosley's father Oswald was a notorious fascist and Hitler supporter. Max has been controversially linked to his father's beliefs.

Kicking off the orgy by playing a detainee, Mosley had both his genitals and head inspected for lice, in a way reminiscent to portrayals of incoming concentration camp detainees, before lying to the hookers to purposefully bring about a severe beating. After the session ended, the girls enjoyed a glass of wine. Mosley was offered one as well, but turned it down in favor of a cup of tea. It's not known what ramifications this will have on Mosley's career or the sport he governs. [Via News Of The World]

UPDATE:Mosley got to keep his job despite acknowledging he participated in an encounter with sex workers in a basement apartment in London. On top of that, Mosley also headed to the UK courts to claim characterizations of Nazi overtones by NOTW were completely invalid, and even if they were valid, it was done in the privacy of someone else's home.

UK High Court judge David Eady apparently agreed on both of those counts. In a ruling hailed by the former Archbishop of Canterbury as a 'dangerous precedent' undermining public morality, the News of the World must now pay Mosley $120,000 in damages, plus legal costs of an estimated $1.7 million, for making the claim. Thanks to legal threats from Mosley's attorneys waving about Eady's ruling, we've removed the NOTW video from our own site, or else face similar attacks on our own free speech.

Allegations of corruption inside Volkswagen are widening, to include possibly 50 to 60 people and a network of shell companies that would make the Russian mob blush. VW chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that the network, allegedly set up to garner contracts from VW, is larger than he and prosecutors at first suspected. At the center of the investigation are close aides of former human resources head, Peter Hartz, who resigned last month. Allegations also include fraud involving the company's works council — the labor-management relations board used by many European companies — including the use of council funds for vacations.

Related:
I Smell Sex and Bribery: Volkswagen s Not So Secret Shame [internal]

The US Justice Department must not have read Jeremy Clarkson's excellent defense of bribery, apropos of VW's recent sex-and-bribery scandal, or they'd likely reconsider going after Mercedes for what may be similar offenses. (See also a more academically inclined defense by Pierre Lemieux.) The department's investigation was launched after a former Chrysler accountant alleged in a lawsuit that the company kept dozens of secret bank accounts from which to ply foreign dignitaries in Africa and South America. We thought those was called "counsulting fees," but then again, we live across the river from New Jersey.

US probes Mercedes over bribery allegation [Automotive Business Review]

Related:
I Smell Sex and Bribery: Volkswagen's Not So Secret Shame [internal]