Pop singer, Shakira has reportedly handed over more than £5.5 million to a court investigating her over another alleged tax fraud. The £5.7 million deposit covers the £5.3 million prosecutors claim she evaded plus an interest payment. The Colombian artist will continue to be investigated over the suspected 2018 tax breaches.
This criminal probe was launched ahead of her admission at the start of last week in a separate case to six counts of tax fraud totalling £12.7 million she committed in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
But if the ongoing criminal investigation leads to a new trial, her settlement of her tax debt is likely to lead to a more lenient eventual sentence, according to respected Catalan newspaper El Periodico. Officials confirmed in July Shakira was being probed over suspected 2018 tax breaches. A spokesman for Catalonia’s High Court of Justice said at the time: ‘Court of Instruction Number 2 in Esplugues de Llobregat has opened a procedure following a complaint presented by prosecutors against the singer Shakira for two suspected tax crimes related to income tax and wealth tax for the Spanish tax year of 2018.’ The singer-songwriter has not yet been questioned by a judge. The quiz when it occurs is likely to take place via video link so she is spared a forced return to Barcelona from her new base in Miami. Shakira said after admitting to tax fraud for the years 2012 to 2014 last Monday at a court in Barcelona that she had done it for her career and her two sons Milan and Sasha.
