Renowned Colombian singer and songwriter, Shakira, hailed as the Queen of Latin pop, faces yet another legal battle as a Spanish court has announced an investigation into alleged fraud concerning income and wealth tax in 2018.
This comes as the Grammy Award-winning artist already standing trial for reportedly neglecting to pay more than £12 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014.
The Spanish tax office has now initiated a probe into two additional potential instances of tax fraud, dating back to 2018.
The accusations involve an astonishing €14.5 million (£12.6 million) in unpaid taxes on earnings during the period of 2012 to 2014.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of up to eight years for the 46-year-old singer, whose full and legal name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. However, Shakira vehemently denies any wrongdoing.
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The court, located in the northeastern town of Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona, released a statement on Thursday without spelling out further details. Additionally, the prosecutor has not yet responded to inquiries seeking comments on the matter.
Shakira’s legal team expressed surprise, asserting that they had not received any official notification about the new case and instead learned of it through the media.
They have chosen to withhold any statements until formal notification reaches Shakira through legally established channels.
“The singer’s legal team will not make any comment until the notification reaches her through the formal and legally established channels,” they said in a statement.
Currently based in Miami, Shakira will need to be personally served with the notice at her new address. Her legal team emphasizes that the singer has consistently maintained compliance with the law and followed the guidance of top tax experts.
Amidst the legal turbulence, Shakira remains focused on her artistic pursuits in Miami, exhibiting confidence that her tax affairs will be resolved favorably.
“As she has already stated on numerous occasions, Shakira asserts that she has always acted in accordance with the law and under the advice of the best tax experts. She is now focused on her artistic life in Miami and is calm and confident that her tax affairs will be resolved favourably,” they added.
