Shakira is under investigation for additional cases of alleged tax fraud by a court near Barcelona, Spain.
The Columbia-born pop star was first charged with tax fraud in July 2021, when Barcelona prosecutors alleged she lived more than half each year from 2012 through 2014 in Spain, and thus should have paid taxes in the country; she maintains that her fiscal residence was in the Bahamas at the time.
Now, a Spanish judge has agreed with state prosecutors to investigate Shakira for two additional cases of alleged tax fraud that reportedly happened in 2018. There’s currently no public information on how much money is in question regarding those cases.
In September 2022, a Barcelona judge ordered Shakira’s first case of alleged tax fraud to go to trial. The indictment includes six charges, as well as a fine of 24 million euros. A date for the trial has yet to be determined.
Shakira’s representatives have claimed that she “has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer, and faithfully following the counsel of PriceWaterhouse Coopers, a prestigious and globally recognized tax firm.”
Her representatives added, “Unfortunately, the Spanish Tax Office, which loses one out of every two lawsuits with its taxpayers, continues to violate her rights, and pursue yet another baseless case. Shakira is confident that her innocence will be proven by the end of the judicial process.”
Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has been linked to Spain since she started dating the now-retired soccer player Gerard Pique. The couple, who have two children, lived together in Barcelona until last year, when they ended their 11-year relationship.
Shakira faces a possible prison sentence of at least eight years and two months.
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