If Shakira is found guilty of tax fraud, prosecutors in Spain say they would urge a court to sentence her to eight years and two months in prison.
MADRID, Spain (AP) – If Shakira is found guilty of tax fraud in her next trial in Spain, prosecutors plan to argue for a sentence of eight years and two months in jail for the Colombian music diva.
Since 2012 and 2014, Shakira has been accused of neglecting to pay the Spanish government $14.5 million in taxes. Her full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. According to the prosecution, a fine of 24 million euros is also on the table.
Shakira is accused of six counts in the indictment. The artist opted to go to trial rather than accept a plea deal from prosecutors this week. There is no definite date for the trial.
According to Shakira’s publicists, she has always paid her taxes on time. In addition to 3 million euros in interest, the musician has paid the sum she is alleged to owe, according to the news report.
According to prosecutors in Barcelona, the Grammy winner should have paid taxes in Spain because he spent more than half of each year there between 2012 and 2014.
Former FC Barcelona player Gerard Piqué was Shakira’s ex-boyfriend for 11 years. The couple has two children together. In the past, the family lived in the city of Barcelona.