Update: Pop star Shakira must stand trial in a tax-fraud case that could put her in prison for eight years. A Spanish court on Tuesday ordered the Colombian mega-star to go on trial over allegations of unpaid taxes, reports NDTV. No date has been set. The 45-year-old denies any wrongdoing and has refused a plea agreement. Our story from July 29 follows:
Shakira appears headed to trial in a tax-fraud case, and Spanish prosecutors want her locked up for eight years if found guilty, reports Reuters. The 45-year-old Colombian singer rejected a plea deal this week, saying she "trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law," per Billboard. Terms of the plea offer were not disclosed. Tax authorities in Spain say Shakira failed to pay about $15 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014, despite owning a home in Barcelona. The entertainer has maintained that her primary residence during that stretch was in the Bahamas.
Either way, Shakira says she has since paid the money that Spain says is due, along with interest. If the case goes to trial and she loses, she not only faces prison but an additional fine of $24 million. The AP notes it's been a rough period for the singer: She recently announced that she and Gerard Pique, a Barcelona soccer star, were splitting after 11 years. The couple have two children together. (More Shakira stories.)
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