BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A Spanish judge on Tuesday approved a trial against Colombian pop star Shakira on tax fraud charges.
Spanish prosecutors charged the entertainer in 2018 with failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($13.9 million) in taxes on earnings between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors are seeking an eight-year sentence and a hefty fine if she is convicted of tax evasion.
Shakira, 45, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and refused to strike a deal with authorities to avoid trial. Her public relations firm said she had paid everything owed and an additional 3 million euros ($2.8 million) in interest.
The court in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat near Barcelona said Shakira faces six counts of tax fraud. A trial date has not yet been set.
The case depends on where Shakira lived in 2012-14. Prosecutors in Barcelona have accused the Grammy winner of spending more than half of her time in Spain, where she should pay taxes even though her official residence is in the Bahamas.
Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has been linked to Spain since she started dating footballer Gerard Pique. The couple, who have two children, used to live together in Barcelona but recently ended their 11-year relationship.
For the past decade, Spain has been cracking down on football stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for not paying their full tax dues. They were convicted of tax evasion, but both avoided jail time thanks to a rule allowing judges to waive sentences of up to two years for first-time offenders.
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