A possible agreement between the defense, the prosecution and the Generalitat of Catalonia, He is also prosecuting and the State Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing the case against the Colombian singer, which is scheduled for Monday in the Barcelona Courthouse. Shakira (Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) for 14.5 million euro fraud claim against the Treasury Last week, contacts between all parties intensified, although the talks were held in secrecy, as in judicial processes. The artist from Barranquilla is the one who must openly admit before the court the facts and the punishment that may be brought against him.
If an agreement cannot be reached, which has been tried at other times during the hearing of the case, the hearing is expected to take place in 12 sessions. It will start this Monday and end on December 14th. A total of 117 witnesses, including the singer, hairdressers, beauty assistants, former partner Antonio de la Rúa, Estopa, businessmen and neighbors, were called to testify at the trial from the start, along with eight experts. But this prediction It is stated that if an agreement is reached and Shakira, defended by criminal lawyer Pau Molins Amat, admits fraud before the judges, she may be blown up on the first day of the trial. and is pleased with the significantly reduced sentence.
In her provisional indictment, prosecutor Carmen Martín Aragon requests a prison sentence of eight years and one month and a fine of 23.8 million euros. HE The deal will include reducing that prison sentenceThis may result in a minimum sentence, the execution of which may be replaced by a fine. Of course, he would have to pay another serious fine, as stated in the article of the Criminal Code punishing fraud against the Treasury. In Shakira’s favor, he acts as if he has already paid the allegedly unpaid amount to the Treasury: 14.5 million. This action may require mitigation to repair the damage, which would benefit him.
second reason
The problem is that the singer has another pending case to avoid paying taxes in 2018 in the amount of 6,686,502 euros, and this case was initiated as a result of another complaint by the prosecutor’s office, like the process that will be tried in the Barcelona Court this Monday. . Shakira awaits her statement in the Esplugues de Llobregat court (where she lived with football player Gerard Piqué) for this second judicial case. There is also another case in the National Court (Madrid) for one million dollars. The singer’s intention is to finalize all ongoing legal proceedings and turn a new page at this stage of his life. The artist guarantees that he paid about 90 million euros to the Spanish Treasury.
But whether an agreement is reached or not, the first chapter will be written next Monday. Shakira must appear in court and sit in the dock. What will happen in this first session is a mystery for now. It will not be surprising if, as in some cases, this or that decision is made minutes before the hearing.
The prosecution alleges that Shakira committed six allegations of fraud against the Treasury due to non-payment of income and wealth taxes in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and demands a prison sentence of one year to one year and six months (eight years in total). and one month). The prosecution alleges that the artist used this to defraud a network of companies with the consequences in tax havens and pretended to live abroad when in reality he lived in Barcelona. with football player gerard piquewhere he left.
According to the prosecutor, Shakira lived regularly between 2012 and 2014, first in a house in Barcelona and then in a house in Esplugues de Llobregat, purchased through a company with her partner Gerard Piqué. The singer’s stay outside Spain at the time was for “professional reasons”, with a very short period outside the United States, where she participated in the program ‘La Voz’.
stay in spain
The accusation stated in his temporary document that the singer was in our country most of the time and exceeded the 183 days specified by law for consideration A person is habitually resident in Spain and must therefore pay taxes there. Specifically, the defendant actually remained in our country: 242 days in 2012, 212 days in 2013, and 243 days in 2014. Absence is considered “occasional” under tax legislation. The defense is of the opinion that the prosecution’s calculations are incorrect. The prosecution emphasizes that the singer used a corporate network to “hide” his income and assets from the Treasury and Tax Office of Catalonia between 2012 and 2014.
Her lawyer Pau Molins’ defense brief argues that Shakira has always been a taxpayer with “impeccable” financial conduct. He emphasized that he had relied on leading advisors such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers from the beginning and that no “credible evidence” had been presented to support the accusations against the singer.