Columbian pop star Shakira will be brought to trial in Spanish court over alleged tax fraud.
The singer will be facing six charges of tax fraud in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat near Barcelona.
According to the Spanish prosecutors, she was accused of defrauding a total of 14.5 million euros in taxes between 2012 and 2014.
The prosecutors argue that the ‘She Wolf’ singer was living for more than half the year in Spain after she moved with her ex-husband Gerard Pique in 2011, but was not listed as a resident.
According to a court ruling made public on Sept. 27, Shakira has been ordered to stand on trial for six tax crimes. However, the date for the trial has yet to be set.
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In her defense, the singer argued that she had behaved legally during her time in Spain and did not owe any taxes. She disclosed this during an interview with Elle Magazine.
“These accusations are false,” she said. “While Gerard and I were dating, I was on a world tour. I spent more than 240 days outside Spain, so there was no way I qualified as a resident”
“The Spanish tax authorities saw that I was dating a Spanish citizen and started to salivate. It’s clear they wanted to go after that money no matter what.”
The prosecution is asking for eight years and two months in prison, and the ‘Waka Waka’ singer is expected to pay a fine of 23.8 million euros.
