Shakira admits her fraud to the Treasury and must pay a million dollar fine to avoid going to jail

Artist Shakira Finally an agreement was reached with the prosecutor’s office, the tax agency and the Generalitat de Catalunya to spare him prison. Fraud of 14.5 million euros to the treasury. The accused pleaded guilty to the facts he was charged with and accepted a three-year prison sentence and a total financial fine of around seven million euros, although the prison sentence will be commuted by a fine of 432,000 euros.

The Colombian arrived at the Barcelona Palace of Justice just before ten in the morning, when the trial was scheduled to begin. Shakira left a door open Agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office And two other accusations, against the Tax Agency and the Generalitat of Catalonia, were finally recognized before a judge of the Provincial Court of Barcelona.

In particular, the singer-songwriter and dancer acknowledged their responsibility in each Six offences Against the public treasury she was charged with. Previously, he had already returned to the tax agency 14.5 million euros he defrauded between 2012 and 2014, avoiding paying taxes by pretending to live outside Spain.

After the deal was approved, Shakira explained in a statement from Llorente & Cuenca (LLYC), “I felt ready to face a trial and defend my innocence. My lawyers believed that. We had a successful trial. However, I have taken this decision after many years of struggle. I had two options: keep fighting until the end, mortgage my peace of mind and my children, stop making songs, albums and tours, not being able to enjoy my career and the things I love, or sign a contract and close this chapter. With the prospect of my life.”

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“I’ve come to the conclusion that winning isn’t winning if your life’s worth has been stolen from you for years. I greatly admire those Spanish citizens Xabi AlonsoChito Pons and many others who invested in this until the end of their lives and fought for it, but for me, today, Success takes back my time. “If I struggle for 10 or 15 years and lose everything along the way, what good is it to me to finally win a procedure?”, emphasized the Colombian.

Also in the report Allegation against tax agency: “I think this system in Spain needs to be reviewed for the benefit of the citizens. And for my part I will continue to be an ally to accomplish this. There are many people who do not have the resources to pay for a good defense or even reach an agreement, and because of conflicts with the treasury that can be resolved in an area outside of prison. Their lives are being eroded before their eyes.”

This is not the only legal avenue open to the singer for alleged tax evasion. A court in Esplugues de Llobregat (Barcelona) has been investigating her since last July following another complaint from the prosecutor’s office accusing her of fraud. Personal Income Tax over six million And the 2018 wealth tax uses a corporate network based on tax havens.