Spanish prosecutor's office accuses Shakira of tax evasion
The tax evasion trial, in which Shakira faces more than 8 years in prison, will begin on 20 November at the Barcelona Provincial Court.
The prosecutor's office in Spain filed a new charge of tax evasion against Colombian singer Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, nicknamed "Shakira".
A new tax evasion accusation was made against Shakira, who was accused of evading 14.5 million euros in tax evasion from the Treasury with 6 different crimes between 2012-2014 in connection with the period she lived in Spain, and whose trial will begin on 20 November at the Barcelona Provincial Court.
The prosecutor's office has completed its investigation into the Colombian singer's alleged irregularities in income and property taxes in 2018, charging that Shakira evaded 5.3 million euros in taxes from the Spanish exchequer at that time.
In connection with the second charge, the prosecution gave Shakira the opportunity to testify by video conference from Miami, where she currently resides.
On the other hand, the trial of Shakira, who is accused of evading 14.5 million euros in income and property taxes in 2012, 2013, and 2014 in connection with the period she lived in Barcelona with former footballer Gerard Pique, will start on November 20, with a prison sentence of up to 8 years and 2 months and a fine of 23.8 million euros.
In the trial, which is expected to have 12 hearings in total and conclude on December 14, the names of nearly 200 people have been written as witnesses.
As Shakira had lived in Spain for more than 183 days, she became a taxpayer according to the laws of this country.
According to the prosecutor's office, in order to avoid paying taxes in Spain, Shakira transferred her income and assets to a network of companies based in the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Malta, Panama, and Luxembourg, hiding them from the Spanish Tax Authority.
The Colombian singer, through his lawyer, refused to agree to a preliminary settlement with the Revenue during preliminary negotiations, denying the accusations and opting for litigation.
Source: Newsroom
