Shakira will be tried for a $ 15.4 million fraud, in Spain

Colombian singer Shakira will be tried in Spain on charges of defrauding 14.5 million euros (about 15.5 million dollars) in the Treasury, pretending not to live in the country and hiding income through a network based on tax havens.

The Court of Barcelona on Thursday, May 26, dismissed the singer’s appeal to avoid trialand confirmed that there was sufficient evidence to convict him as a result of the complaint filed by the Prosecutor’s Office against him for six crimes against the Spanish Treasury.

Shakira, wife of Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué, has already paid 14.5 million euros demanded by the Spanish Tax Agency -including another three million interest- for a suspected tax fraud committed between 2012 and 2014which does not prevent him from sitting on the bench, at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office.

what the singer said

After learning of the decision of the Audience of Barcelona, ​​the singer announced through a statement that will continue to defend his innocence in court with his legal team and asserted that his conduct in tax matters was “always flawless” in all countries where he had to pay taxes.

The statement emphasizes that the Court did not go in to assess whether Shakira committed tax fraud “and it does not ignore the arguments raised by the defense”, but limits itself to “calling the parties to show their allegations in a moment of procedure other than the present one ”.

“The dismissal of the appeal is simple another step in the process, which now continues its usual course“, added the note.

Defending (alleged) innocence

As such, the Colombian artist ensures that his legal team will continue to defend his innocence, as it has done so far, ”by presenting weighty legal arguments, verifiable evidence and expert reports from professionals. recognized prestige in the field of taxation ”, including a professor and a Supreme Court justice.

Shakira stressed in the statement that his tax behavior is “irrevocable” and that it is “trusted and faithfully adheres to the standards of the best specialists and expert advisors.”

Shakira faces possible fines and equals a possible sentence of imprisonment if convicted of tax evasion. However, a judge can release first -time offenders from prison if the sentence is less than two years behind bars.

big vacation

When the fraud case intensified, in August last year, Legal problems did not prevent Shakira from enjoying her “recess”. Along with his children Milan, eight years old, and Sasha, six, he seemed happier with them, according to photos he posted on his Instagram account of a vacation in the Bahamas.

And they didn’t take away his desire to promote the first preview of his next album, the twelfth of his career, offering interviews as published by ET Canada, which, when asked if his children are fans of his songs, the artist responded with a startling confession: kids are not just fans of their themesbut his music doesn’t even play in his house.

Source: EFE

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