Renowned singer Shakira landed in legal trouble. The Spanish prosecutors will seek a jail term of more than eight years against her. This happened after Shakira rejected a plea deal on accusations of tax evasion.
The prosecutors in Barcelona will also demand a fine from her of nearly 24 million euros ($24.5 million). They accused Shakira of defrauding the Spanish tax office of 14.5 million euros on income earned between 2012 and 2014.
Shakira rejected the plea on Wednesday. In her official statement, she said she is certain of her innocence. She added that she would let the case go to court and is confident that her innocence will also be proven there.
After she rejected the plea, the prosecutors decided to file a case against her on Friday. Meanwhile, neither a formal referral nor the trial date has been set yet.
The prosecutors alleged that Shakira moved to Spain in 2011 after her relationship with footballer Gerard Pique became public but maintained official tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015.
On the flip side, Shakira stated that she has paid 17.2 million euros to Spanish tax authorities and added that she has had no debt to the Treasury for many years.
