Shakira launches stinging attack on Spanish authorities over £12million tax fraud case

Shakira has launched a sharp attack on tax authorities in Spain ahead of the fraud trial, which could earn her an eight-year prison sentence.

The 45-year-old singer-songwriter struck in a surprise attack four months after learning Spanish prosecutors were demanding a stiff sentence if she is found guilty of alleged £12 million tax fraud. A date for the trial in a Barcelona court has yet to be set.

The mother-of-two claimed in a statement on Friday that she was being “prosecuted” and accused Spain’s finance ministry of using “unacceptable methods to damage her reputation and force her to reach a settlement agreement.”

She insisted that she had no intention of making any deals and that she would face trial.

Hitting out: Shakira delivered a stabbing attack on tax authorities in Spain ahead of the fraud trial that could lead her to an eight-year prison sentence

A spokesman for the Colombian artist also clarified that she felt the country’s tax authorities accused her of lying about living outside Spain “without evidence” during the years she was accused of tax fraud.

Formerly a tax resident of the Bahamas, Shakira did not register as a full-time tax resident in Spain until 2015, despite having begun dating her ex Gerard Pique five years earlier.

People who spend more than 183 days in Spain in any given calendar year are considered Spanish residents for tax purposes.

Spanish tax inspectors reportedly spent more than a year checking on Shakira, even visiting her favorite hairdressers in Barcelona and checking her social media to try and show that she spent most of the three years in dispute in Spain.

They concluded that she had spent 242 days in Spain in 2012, 212 days in 2013 and 243 days in the country in 2014 before charging her with six counts of tax fraud over those three years.

Ouch: The mother-of-two claimed in a statement on Friday that she was being ‘prosecuted’ and accused the Spanish treasury of using ‘unacceptable methods to damage her reputation’

Shakira’s lawyer Pablo Molins Amat presented her police report today (FRI) to the Barcelona court that is investigating her, the artist’s publicists confirmed late this morning (FRI).

A statement released by Barcelona-based LLYC and authorized by Shakira said: ‘Shakira is a taxpayer who has always demonstrated impeccable tax conduct and has never had any tax problems in any other jurisdiction.

‘The singer called on top advisers such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers. She has never exceeded the 183 days of presence in Spain required to be a tax resident.

With no solid evidence to support the charges against her, she has been subjected to intense criminal and media persecution, using unacceptable methods to damage her reputation and force her to reach a plea agreement.

“Shakira has already paid more than 90 million euros for international income not generated in Spain and for her international assets, without having a business center in this country where she has never earned a significant income.”

Shakira also made it clear that she felt that the Spanish tax authorities were violating her fundamental rights and trying to damage her hard-earned reputation.

She said in a private message as part of her authorized statement: “It is unacceptable that with her accusation the tax authorities do not respect the legal certainty that should be guaranteed to every taxpayer, not my fundamental rights.

“Moreover, they are trying to damage a reputation they have earned through years of work.”

She added, referring to the “unorthodox and unacceptable methods used by the Treasury, such as requesting private data from hospitals where the singer asked for an appointment: “In my case, they violated my right to privacy and presumption of innocence, fundamental rights of every resident.’

Not impressed: The singer also made it clear that she was willing to go to court to prove her innocence instead of making a deal with the Spanish tax authorities

She accused some senior representatives of the Spanish Ministry of Finance of making statements to the media that violated their confidentiality obligations and of creating a “contrived narrative that created the appearance of Shakira’s permanent presence on Spanish soil.”

Her representatives added in the harsh statement: “What actually happened was sporadic attendance, resulting in an accusation based on mere suspicions.

For example, the accusation counts all payments made from a range of credit cards belonging to her team and friends made in Spain to add up the days of Shakira’s presence in this country, without taking into account the fact that on many occasions there have been simultaneous payments in different parts of the world, without the artist being physically present in those places where the payments were made.’

The singer also made it clear that she was willing to go to court to prove her innocence instead of making a deal with the Spanish tax authorities.

Shakira remains determined to meet all her tax obligations in Spain, as well as in all countries where she has lived or performed during her long professional career.

“Finally, Shakira would like to express her absolute confidence in the independence of the Spanish judicial system and her firm belief that her complete innocence will prevail after trial.”

It’s over: Shakira’s split with former Barcelona player Gerard Pique made international headlines earlier this year

Shakira, whose split with former Barcelona player Gerard Pique made international headlines earlier this year, has already paid the six-figure sum she allegedly defrauded, along with interest, according to Spain’s tax authorities.

In addition to an eight-year prison sentence, prosecutors want Shakira to be fined €23 million-£19.2 million if convicted as charged.

Shakira – full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll – is accused of pretending to live abroad and using an existing complex offshore company structure to avoid her tax obligations from 2012 to 2014.

In a statement released in July around the time Spanish prosecutors confirmed their charges against Shakira, the singer-songwriter’s PR agency said: “She believes in her innocence and has chosen to address the issue. in the hands of the law. ‘

In a September interview, she described her decision to go to trial as a “matter of principle.”

Last month, Shakira and Gerard confirmed they had signed a custody agreement that would prevent them from competing in court for their two sons Milan, nine, and Sasha, seven.

As part of the agreement, the Colombian will move to Miami early in the new year, her ailing father’s health permitting, with the two children.

Her ex will be with them 10 days a month, which means he will have to live between the United States and Barcelona from now on, as well as vacation time.

Settled: Last month, Shakira and Gerard confirmed they had signed a custody agreement that would prevent them going to war in court over their two sons Milan, nine, and Sasha, seven (pictured in 2017)