Global pop star Shakira faces trial in Barcelona over tax fraud allegations

Pop sensation Shakira, 46, has been summoned to a Barcelona courthouse to kick off her trial for alleged tax evasion amounting to 14.5 million euros (approximately $15.8 million) between 2012 and 2014.

Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has two children, Milan and Sasha, with Barcelona soccer star Gerard Pique. The couple lived together in Barcelona before ending their 11-year relationship last year. Since then, she resided in Miami, reports AP.

Here's a breakdown of the key details:

Background:
The case, which gained public attention in 2018, centers around Shakira's residency during the aforementioned period.

Prosecutors argue that despite her official residence being in the Bahamas, the Colombian singer spent more than half of her time in Spain, making her liable to pay taxes on global income in the country.

Tax rates in the Bahamas are significantly lower than those in Spain.
Legal Consequences:

Prosecutors are seeking a hefty sentence of eight years and two months in prison, along with a fine of 24 million euros ($26.1 million) if Shakira is found guilty.

Shakira's public relations firm maintains that she has already settled the owed amount and an additional 3 million euros ($3.2 million) in interest.

Trial Dynamics:

Shakira turned down a settlement offer from prosecutors in July 2022, expressing her belief in innocence and choosing to let the legal process unfold.

The trial is presided over by a three-judge panel, led by magistrate Jose Manuel del Amo, and is scheduled to conclude on December 14, 2023.

Shakira is required to be present in the courtroom by 10:00 a.m.
Paradise Papers Connection:

Shakira was named in the "Paradise Papers" leaks, revealing offshore tax arrangements of high-profile individuals.

Her defence team argues that she did not meet the criteria for fiscal residency in Spain during the disputed period.

Defence and Investigations:

Shakira's defence maintains that she did not spend more than 60 days a year in Spain during the period in question.

The investigating judge, Marco Juberias, found "sufficient evidence of criminality" in 2021 for the case to proceed to trial.

An appeal to dismiss the case was rejected in the previous year.

Recent Developments:

Shakira established her fiscal residency in Spain in 2014, coinciding with her child's enrollment in school in Barcelona, according to her defence team.
In a separate investigation, Spanish state prosecutors charged her with evading 6.7 million euros in tax on her 2018 income.
(With inputs from AP)