Shakira attends the 2022 NBCUniversal Upfront.Photo: Roy Rochlin/Getty
Shakirahas rejected a settlement offer in a tax fraud case in Spain and could face eight years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors in Spain are reportedly seeking an eight-year sentence for Shakira if she is convicted in trial over a $15 million tax fraud case,Reutersand theAssociated Pressreported Friday.
The superstar, 45, is accused of failing to pay taxes from 2012 to 2014, a period in which she claims she did not live in Spain. Meanwhile, earlier this week, the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer rejected a settlement offer from the prosecutors office to close the case, per Reuters. The singer opted to go to trial instead, though a date has not been set.
Shakira.Focus on Sport/Getty
Meanwhile, a representative for the Colombian musician tells PEOPLE she is “confident in her innocence.”
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In May, a court in Spaindismissed her appealin the case, ruling that there was enough proof to move forward. The court upheld a ruling from July 2021, when Spanish Judge Marco Juberías determined there was “sufficient evidence of criminality” following an investigation that went on for three years, according to the AP.
At the time, Shakira’s representatives told the Associated Press that she paid the debt after the country’s tax agency told her what she owed.
“Shakira’s conduct on tax matters has always been impeccable in all the countries where she has had to pay taxes, and she has trusted and faithfully followed the recommendations of the best specialists and expert advisors,” they said, per the Associated Press and Reuters, adding that her lawyers plan to “defend her innocence.”
Shakira denied the accusations against her while testifying in June 2019, according to the Associated Press.
She was firstaccused of tax evasionin January 2018. That February, she paid nearly$25 million in owed taxes.
The development in the case comes a month after Shakira announced that she and her partnerGerard Piqué— who share two sons,Milan, 9, andSasha, 7 — aretaking time apart.
“We regret to confirm that we are separating,” the couple, who firstconfirmed their relationshipin March 2011 said in a joint statement in June. “We ask for privacy at this moment for the well-being of our children, who are our maximum priority. Thank you in advance for your understanding and respect.”
source: people.com
