Spanish courtroom begins probe into tax fraud allegations in opposition to singer Shakira

By Agence France-Presse: A Spanish courtroom mentioned on Thursday it has opened a brand new probe into Colombian music famous person Shakira for alleged earnings tax fraud.

The 46-year-old “Hips don’t Lie” singer is already on account of stand trial on the finish of the 12 months in Spain for allegedly failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($16.3 million) in taxes on earnings earned between 2012 and 2014.

Now, a courtroom within the northeastern city of Esplugues de Llobregat close to Barcelona mentioned it had agreed with prosecutors to analyze two doable instances of tax fraud by Shakira from 2018.

The courtroom didn’t present additional particulars in its assertion.

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Prosecutors have requested an eight-year sentence and tremendous of 24 million euros within the first case after Shakira rejected a plea deal over the accusations of tax evasion.

That case centres on the place the singer lived between 2012 and 2014.

Prosecutors say Shakira moved to Spain in 2011 when her relationship with FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique turned public, however maintained official tax residency within the Bahamas till 2015.

Shakira’s attorneys have mentioned that till 2014 she earned most of her cash from worldwide excursions and moved to Spain full-time solely in 2015, and has met all her tax obligations.

The singer has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and claims she owes nothing to the Spanish tax workplace.

Shakira and Pique, who’ve two youngsters, lived collectively in Barcelona till final 12 months, once they ended their 11-year relationship.

The singer introduced in April that she and her youngsters had been formally leaving Barcelona.

“I settled in Barcelona to provide my children with stability, the same thing we now search for in another corner of the world,” she wrote on Instagram.

The Latina famous person was named in one of many largest-ever leaks of monetary paperwork in October 2021, referred to as the “Pandora Papers”, as a public determine linked to offshore property.

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With her mixture of Latin and Arabic rhythms, the three-time Grammy winner has scored main world hits with songs equivalent to “Whenever, Wherever” and “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, the official tune of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.