Barcelona, Spain:

Colombian famous person Shakira can pay thousands and thousands of euros in fines as a part of a settlement introduced Monday with Spanish prosecutors to settle her tax fraud case and keep away from trial.

Under the deal, introduced firstly of what would have been the trial of the 46-year-old singer, Shakira agreed to obtain a three-year suspended sentence and to pay 7.3 million euros ($7.98 million) in fines.

Prosecutors had accused the famous person of defrauding the Spanish state of 14.5 million euros ($15.7 million) on revenue earned between 2012 and 2014, expenses Shakira had denied, saying she solely moved to Spain full-time in 2015.

The singer, who wore a pink swimsuit and sun shades, didn’t communicate to the throng of reporters as he entered and left the Barcelona courthouse, however in a press release, she mentioned she had agreed to accept the sake of her two sons,  Milan and Sasha.

“I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love – my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career, including my upcoming world tour and my new album,” she mentioned within the assertion issued by her attorneys.

“I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career.”

The case centered on how a lot time the singer, whose hit singles embrace “Whenever, Wherever” and the 2010 World Cup music “Waka Waka”, spent in Spain between 2012 and 2014.

Spanish authorities alleged Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll — dubbed the Queen of Latin Pop — spent greater than half of that interval in Spain and subsequently ought to have paid taxes within the nation. 

They say she moved to Spain after her relationship with former FC Barcelona star defender Gerard Pique grew to become public in 2011, however maintained official tax residency within the Bahamas till 2015.

‘Nomadic life’

Shakira’s attorneys argued that till 2014, she was main a “nomadic life” and earned most of her cash from worldwide excursions, and that she moved completely to Barcelona simply earlier than the delivery of her second son in January 2015.

The diva introduced her cut up from Pique in June 2022 after a decade-long relationship, ending what had been one of many world’s most well-known superstar {couples}. She moved to Miami in April with their two sons, Milan and Sasha.

Her trial had been anticipated to run till December 14, with the court docket scheduled to listen to from almost 120 witnesses.

Spanish prosecutors had interviewed her neighbours, tracked her photos on social networks, and checked funds at hairdressers and even the well being clinic she attended throughout her being pregnant to bolster their accusations.

Questions about Shakira’s funds have been raised earlier than.

The Latina famous person was named in one of many largest-ever leaks of monetary paperwork in October 2021, often known as the “Pandora Papers”, which revealed the wealth and tax avoidance methods of the worldwide wealthy, in her case regarding the residence within the Bahamas.

Latin Grammy winner

Spain has lately cracked down on celebrities like soccer stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for not paying their full due in taxes. 

Both gamers have been discovered responsible of evasion and acquired jail sentences that have been waived for first-time offenders.

Shakira’s former associate Pique was himself convicted of tax fraud in 2016 and later ordered to pay the tax workplace 2.1 million euros.

The singer picked up three awards on the Latin Grammy Awards in Seville in southern Spain on Thursday, together with for music of the yr and finest pop music for her collaboration with Argentine DJ Bizarrap on “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”.

The monitor takes swipes at her former associate Pique and features a reference to being left with a “debt to the tax office”. It has been performed virtually 1.5 billion occasions on Spotify and YouTube.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)