Singer, Shakira Dragged To Court Over Fraud
Superstar Singer and Dancer, Shakira to face trial in Spain According to court records, a Spanish judge has ordered Colombian music diva Shakira to stand trial in a tax fraud case at an undetermined date. Prosecutors in Barcelona said in July that they will seek a jail term of more than eight years and a fine of over 24 million euros ($24 million) against the singer after she rejected a plea agreement over tax cheating allegations. They accuse the 45-year-old “Hips Don’t Lie” singer of stealing 14.5 million euros ($14.7 million) from the Spanish tax office between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors claim Shakira relocated to Spain in 2011 when her relationship with FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique became known, but she kept her formal tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015. The couple, who have two children, announced their separation in June. According to a court judgement made public on Tuesday, a Barcelona court ordered the singer to stand trial on September 19 for six tax offenses. Shakira claimed in an interview published last week in Elle magazine that she was convinced she had acted lawfully and owed nothing to the Spanish tax authority. “These charges are untrue,” she stated. “I went on a global tour while Gerard and I were dating.” “I spent more than 240 days outside of Spain, therefore I couldn’t qualify as a resident,” she continued....