Shakira faces jail term in Spanish tax fraud allegations

<p>Colombian music sensation, Shakira, known as the “Queen of Latin Pop,” is set to go on trial in Barcelona as Spanish prosecutors pursue a tax fraud case against her.</p>, <p>Prosecutors are seeking a jail term of over eight years for the 46-year-old singer, accusing her of defrauding the Spanish state of 14.5 million euros ($15.7 million) in income earned between 2012 and 2014. Shakira denies the charges, maintaining that she only moved to Spain full-time in 2015.</p>, <p>Spanish authorities allege that she spent more than half of that period in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country, claiming that Shakira utilized a network of companies based in tax havens to avoid paying taxes in Spain.</p>, <p>The singer’s defence argues that until 2014, she led a “nomadic life,” earning most of her income from international tours, stating that she permanently moved to Barcelona just before the birth of her second son in January 2015.</p>, <p>In an interview with Elle magazine in 2022, Shakira asserted, “I’ve paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So, as of today, I owe zero to them.”</p>, <p>Shakira’s trial, scheduled to run until December 14, commenced today at a Barcelona court. The court is set to hear from nearly 120 witnesses.</p>, <p>The prosecution seeks a jail term of eight years and two months, along with a fine of nearly 24 million euros ($24 million) for the singer.</p>, <p>While Shakira is expected to testify during the opening session, she may request permission to be absent from the remaining hearings.</p>, <p>The trial is anticipated to shed light on details of her private life, with Spanish prosecutors conducting a meticulous investigation, including interviews with neighbours, tracking social media activity, and examining payments at local establishments.</p>, <p>The global music icon’s financial affairs were previously brought into the spotlight in the “Pandora Papers” leak in October 2021, revealing details related to her residence in the Bahamas.</p>, <p>Shakira’