Colombian singer Shakira faces a prison sentence in Spain for allegedly evading taxes worth millions. The 45-year-old denies the allegations. She had rejected an out-of-court deal.
Spanish prosecutors are seeking more than eight years in prison for Colombian pop star Shakira on alleged tax evasion. According to the AFP news agency, this emerges from the indictment. The public prosecutor also wants to demand a fine of 24 million euros.
Shakira denies the allegations. The court must now decide whether and when to start a process. The singer is suspected of having defrauded the Spanish tax authorities of 14.5 million euros.
The singers had rejected an out-of-court settlement with the public prosecutor’s office on Wednesday. The 45-year-old described herself as innocent and the allegations as a “total violation” of her rights. She is the victim of a “bitter persecution” that other citizens have experienced. The responsible authorities had “recourse to unfair means to exert pressure”. However, the possibility of an agreement remains until the first court date.
Spanish prosecutors have accused Shakira of not paying income tax in Spain between 2012 and 2014. During this time, she lived in the country with top Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué, but had her tax residence in the Bahamas until 2015.
Shakira was mentioned in the “Panama Papers”.
Shakira’s lawyers counter that her income comes mainly from international tours and that she has not lived in Spain for more than six months a year. You have also already paid a good 17 million euros to the Spanish tax authorities.
Shakira was also mentioned in the Panama Papers, which revealed in 2016 that numerous heads of state and government and well-known figures had been hiding money from the tax authorities in tax havens.
With over 60 million albums sold, Shakira is one of the most successful musicians of the past two decades. In June, she split from Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué after 12 years of dating. The two have two children together and have been voted among the top 10 “most powerful couples in the world” by the US magazine “Forbes” several times. The couple lived together on the outskirts of Barcelona for a long time.
Source: Stern
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