Shakira, a pop artist, has been warned that if she is found guilty of a purported £12 million tax scam, she may spend up to eight years in prison. The 45-year-old singer is accused of six charges of cheating the government between 2012 and 2014, and Spanish prosecutors are also seeking a near $24 million fine for her.
A Ton of Money
It happens after the mother-of-two, who was born in Colombia, turned down an amicable solution that required her to confess to wrongdoing. The money she allegedly owes the treasury, combined with interest estimated to be worth about $3.7 million, has already been paid back.
The Matter at Hand
Shakira is charged with employing an intricate offshore corporate structure and feigning a foreign residence to evade taxes. According to the report filed by the prosecutors with their criminal case, the time she was away from Spain was “sporadic” and related to her job. Any wrongdoing has been refuted by Shakira.
There is no definite date for the trial, and some observers believe a last-minute agreement could yet be reached before Shakira is called to testify.
