SHAKIRA: Prosecutors accused the pop diva of failing to pay income taxes totaling 14.5 million euros. Monday was supposed to be the start of her trial.
Just before the trial was about to start in Barcelona, international pop sensation Shakira came to an agreement with Spanish prosecutors to resolve a multimillion-euro tax evasion case on Monday.
Prosecutors filed six charges of tax fraud against Shakira, alleging that she failed to pay income taxes totaling 14.5 million euros, or roughly $15.8 million. She informed the presiding magistrate in court that she had agreed to a deal with the prosecution, according to an Associated Press story published on Monday. As per the agreement, she would be subject to a punishment of €7 million and a suspended sentence of three years, according to the A.P.
The star, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, was charged in 2012 and 2014 with tax evasion against the Spanish government. Shakira had consistently refuted the allegations, claiming that she was not residing in Spain at the time.
Prosecutors claimed in a July indictment that Shakira had lived more than half of every year in Spain between 2012 and 2014 and had concealed her wealth and income during that time by using a pre-existing “corporate framework.”
The prosecution had requested a fine of €23 million in addition to an eight-year jail sentence.
The pop star stated that she has always aimed to “do what’s right and set a positive example for others” in a statement on Monday.
“I have decided to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart, even though I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour,” she added.