Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has two children with Barcelona soccer star Gerard Pique. The couple used to live together in Barcelona but recently ended their 11-year-old relationship. Shakira has opted to go to trial instead of accepting a deal offered by Spanish prosecutors to settle the allegations that she defrauded Spain’s government of 14.5 million euros ($15 million) in taxes, her public relations team said Wednesday.
There is “sufficient evidence” to hold a trial for Shakira’s alleged tax evasion for the years of 2012, 2013 and 2014, the investigating magistrate said in a ruling, which CNN has obtained. Judge Marco Jesus Juberias wrote that Shakira lived more than 200 days in Spain in each of those three years, making her liable to pay taxes in the country. Juberias said that in the investigation so far Spain’s tax agency and Shakira’s lawyers have argued over the meaning of “main residence.” But Shakira,”trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law,” the PR firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a statement.
Shakira Rejects Prosecutors’ Deal
Reacting to the ruling, the singer’s representatives told CNN in a statement on Thursday: “This is an expected step in this process. The legal team maintains its trust and collaboration with the Justice and won’t offer any further comments on this matter.”
The ruling was dated July 20 and the judge gave the parties to the case 10 business days to submit additional arguments, including arguing to shelve the case. The Spanish tax code says that anyone who resides in Spain for at least six months and a day — or 183 days — in a given year is liable to pay taxes in Spain, Madrid tax consultant, Beatriz Garcia, told CNN on Thursday.
