Shakira’s recent weeks haven’t been pleasant.
The Colombian pop singer separated from former partner and FC Barcelona defensive Gerard Piqué, then her dad faced a “bad fall,” and now, based on a recent ABC News story, Shakira poses jail sentence if found guilty in an anticipated trial for presumed tax evasion.
Government lawyers in Spain announced last week they would ask a jury to penalize the pop star with eight years and 2 months of prison and impose a suggested fine of €24 million ($24.39 million).
The accusation claimed that somewhere between 2012 and 2014, Shakira, the singer of “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Waka Waka,” and “Whenever,” did not pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (approximately $15 million) in taxes.
Shakira has kept up her innocence and decided to go with the court case after denying a plea bargain provided by Spanish prosecutors on July 28 to resolve the claim.
Shakira’s team reported in a declaration first posted by Reuters: “The vocalist is extremely sure in her innocence and consequently will not accept a settlement.”
While most of the cases remain private, based on the limited information available, everything ultimately depends on where Shakira lived between 2012 and 2014.
Prosecutors allege that Rapper shifted to Spain in 2011 after her relationship with Piqué became official, but she managed her authorized permanent resident status in the Bahamas until 2015.
Shakira’s crew refuted these allegations, stating that they were “a clear breach of her rights” because the musician did not reside in Spain even during the relevant period of time and was on numerous foreign tours.
Against the recommendation of her team, the songwriter reportedly paid the Spanish tax department the money they demanded she was obliged to pay plus $3 million in interest, amounting to roughly $17 million.
People recently reported that one of the musician’s delegates stated on Friday, July 29 that Rapper is “confident of her innocence.
The statement read, “Shakira has always agreed to cooperate and abided with the law, proving outstanding behavior as a person and taxpayer, and loyally following the advice of Pricewaterhouse Coopers, a renowned and renowned tax company.
Her rep added, “Sadly, the Spanish Tax Office, which also loses one of every two lawsuits with its taxpaying citizens, remains to violate her privileges and seek yet another silly case. Shakira is optimistic that her innocence will be formed at the conclusion of the legal proceedings.”
The court hearing for the singer has yet to be announced.