PremiumShakira may face eight years in jail, if found guilty of tax fraud
Shakira stands accused of over £13 million in tax evasion in a Spanish court.
Last Updated: 01.51 PM, Apr 30, 2023
Shakira will go on a trial in a Spanish court and could receive up to eight years in prison if found guilty of dodging taxes on more than £13 million. After being accused of cheating the Spanish treasury between 2012 and 2014, the Colombian pop artist might serve more than eight years in prison.
She is accused of making the claim that she did not reside in Spain for three years despite sharing a residence with her ex-partner, Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique. The Colombian singer-songwriter, who earlier this month travelled to Miami with her two kids, may spend up to eight years in prison if found guilty.
State prosecutors want the mother of two to receive a 23 million euro (£19.2 million) fine in addition to the prison term. A date has been set for the commencement of Shakira's fraud trial after almost 200 witnesses gave testimony.
Due to the court's absence on some days, the trial will start on November 20 and last for 12 sessions, ending on December 14.
Shakira's ex-husband, Gerard Pique, is unlikely to be called to the stand. She will be called, but after taking the witness stand to begin the proceedings, she might be allowed to depart.
A few hours after former player Pique landed in Miami for his first trip to the country since his kids left Spain, the trial date was made public. The former Barcelona defender was seen getting into a cab while sporting loose-fitting clothing, including baggy trousers.
The 36-year-old will spend just five days with boys Milan, 10, and Sasha, 8, before returning to Barcelona the following Monday. Before leaving Barcelona for her new home in Miami, Shakira launched a harsh attack on Spanish tax officials.
She declared that she would go to trial rather than accepting any last-minute plea bargains.
The representative for the Colombian artist also said she thought the nation's tax authorities were accusing her of lying about her stays outside of Spain "without evidence" throughout the years she had been charged with tax fraud.