Shakira's trial update: To appear in court today on charges of tax fraud; could face eight years in jail

Singer Shakira will have to be present in court in Barcelona today as she has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of €14.5. The singer could face eight years in jail and a €24m fine if found guilty.

What happened?

From 2012 to 2014, Shakira spent six months as a Spanish resident and that made her liable for tax, however, this is a claim she has categorically denied. The prosecution has called 117 witnesses in court, which include hairdressers, studio technicians, dance teachers, therapists, beauticians, gynaecologists and her chauffeur.

Shakira’s statement 

In an interview last year, she said, “ These are false accusations. First of all, I didn’t spend 183 days per year at that time at all. I was busy fulfilling my professional commitments around the world. Second, I’ve paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So, as of today I owe zero to them.”

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She added, “The Spanish tax authorities saw that I was dating a Spanish citizen and started to salivate. It’s clear they wanted to go after that money no matter what. They knew I wasn’t in Spain the required time, that Spain wasn’t my place of work or my source of income, but they still came after me, with their eyes on the prize.”

Other details of the trial 

The trial could last till December 14. The singer shall face separate charges of failing to pay €6.6m in taxes in 2018.

Shakira’s cryptic post on ‘trust and love’

While the world has entered a new year with hopes of better days, Pop superstar Shakira shared a cryptic message and promoted the idea of ‘trust and love’. Notably, what seemed to be a swipe at her ex-partner, footballer Gerard Pique following their shocking separation in June last year, the post has already grabbed the internet’s attention. Taking to Instagram, Shakira posted her message in Spanish and noted how “wounds still remain open in this new year” while she believes in time taking its own course to heal the same. While many of her fans came out in her support, it was the reaction of Argentine player Lionel Messi’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo that caught eyeballs.