Shakira agrees to be tried in Spain over alleged €14.5m tax fraud

Shakira has opted to be tried in Spain over alleged tax fraud according to her lawyers.

Public relations firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a statement today Wednesday, July 27 that the superstar had opted to be tried by a Spanish court after rejecting a plea deal.

No details of the deal have been made public, but if found guilty she could be sent to jail or receive a significant fine. Those details are likely to be public once the case goes ahead in the Barcelona courts.

The company said that Shakira wants to prove her innocence in court and has put her trust in the courts to see justice. They said she: “Trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law.”

Spanish prosecutors charged Shakira back in 2018 claiming that she failed to pay €14.5m taxes on income she earned between 2012 and 2014.

According to Llorente y Cuenca she has deposited what the tax authorities say she owes with a law firm, claiming that she has no pending tax debts.

At the centre of the case is the claim that Shakira’s official residence was in the Bahamas, but prosecutors disagree saying that she was mostly resident in Spain.

Shakira did live with footballer Gerard Pique in Barcelona, with the couple having two children. That relationship ended recently after some 11 years together.  

The star whose real name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has sold over 60 million albums.

With Shakira agreeing to be tried in Spain, the courts will now set a trial date.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.