Shakira In Legal Trouble For Alleged Income Tax Fraud

The 46-year-old singer is already scheduled to stand trial later this year in Spain on charges of failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($16.3 million) in taxes for the period between 2012 and 2014.

MADRID: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-July 20^th, 2023) A Spanish court on Thursday initiated a new investigation into Colombian music sensation Shakira for alleged income tax fraud.

The 46-year-old singer is already scheduled to stand trial later this year in Spain on charges of failing to pay 14.5 million Euros ($16.3 million) in taxes for the period between 2012 and 2014.

Now, the court in the northeastern town of Esplugues de Llobregat near Barcelona has agreed with prosecutors to probe two potential cases of tax fraud by Shakira from 2018. However, the court's statement does not offer further details about the investigation.

In the first case, prosecutors are seeking an eight-year prison sentence and a fine of 24 million euros after Shakira rejected a plea deal related to tax evasion allegations. This case centers on the singer's residency status between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors claim that Shakira moved to Spain in 2011 when her relationship with FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique became public but maintained her official tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015.

Shakira's defense team maintains that she primarily earned her income from international tours until 2014 and only became a full-time resident of Spain in 2015, fulfilling all her tax obligations. The singer vehemently denies any wrongdoing and asserts that she owes nothing to the Spanish tax office.

Shakira and Pique, who share two children, resided together in Barcelona until last year when they ended their 11-year relationship. In April, Shakira announced on Instagram that she and her children were officially leaving Barcelona to seek stability in another location.

The renowned Latina superstar was implicated in the "Pandora papers," one of the largest-ever leaks of financial documents in October 2021, linking her as a public figure to offshore assets.

Despite the ongoing legal challenges, Shakira's music continues to captivate audiences worldwide, with hits like "Whenever, Wherever" and "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," the official song of the 2010 World Cup, showcasing her unique blend of Latin and Arabic rhythms.