Pop star Shakira is facing further legal trouble in Spain, as a court near Barcelona has announced that it will initiate a second tax fraud investigation against the Colombian singer. This comes on top of the ongoing trial she is set to face for allegedly failing to pay $13.9mn in taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014. Shakira has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in relation to the previous charges.
The new investigation was agreed upon by a Spanish judge in collaboration with state prosecutors, who suspect that Shakira may have committed tax fraud in 2018. However, the exact amount of money involved in this second case remains undisclosed at this stage. Both investigations are being handled by a court in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat, which is near Barcelona.
The initial case that will go to trial revolves around a dispute regarding Shakira's residency between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors in Barcelona argue that the Grammy-winning artist spent more than half of that period in Spain and, therefore, should have paid taxes in the country, despite her official residence being listed as the Bahamas.
Shakira's public relations firm, Llorente y Cuenca, has released a statement in Spanish asserting that the singer has always abided by the law and followed the advice of her financial advisers. The statement maintains Shakira's innocence in both cases and states that she has not yet been officially informed about the second investigation.
“(Shakira) is now focused on her artistic career in Miami and is calm and confident that she will receive a favorable resolution of her fiscal issues,” the firm said.
Currently residing in Miami, Shakira's connection to Spain dates back to her relationship with former soccer player Gerard Pique. The couple lived together in Barcelona until their separation in 2022, during which they welcomed two children.
Spain has taken a strict stance on tax evasion cases involving prominent figures, including football stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, in the past decade. Both players were found guilty of tax evasion, but they managed to avoid prison time due to a provision that allows judges to waive sentences under two years for first-time offenders.
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