Shakira pays Spain €7.5m to avoid tax fraud trial

Colombian pop star Shakira  Isabel Mebarak Ripoll reached a deal with Spanish prosecutors to settle a tax fraud case

 She had faced tax fraud allegations for €14.5m (£12.7m) in a Barcelona court and prosecutors  wanted to jail her for eight years and fine her €23.8m (£20.8m) if found guilty.

However, just as her trial was about to begin, she  paid a €7.5m (£6.5m) fine, The performer who  repeatedly denied any wrongdoing had previously rejected a deal offered by prosecutors, instead opting to go to trial.

In a lengthy statement, she said that she came up with such a  decision in the interest of her children adding that  she also needed to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things she loves .

 "While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour, I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight." Shakira narrated.

Meanwhile the case centered on how much time the singer spent in Spain between 2012 and 2014. Spanish authorities alleged Shakira spent more than half of that period in Spain and therefore should have paid taxes in the country.

They say she moved to Spain after her relationship with former FC  Barcelona star defender Gerard Pique became public in 2011 but maintained official tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015. 

Shakira's lawyers argued that until 2014, she was leading a "nomadic life" and earned most of her money from international tours, and that she moved permanently to Barcelona just before the birth of her second son in January 2015.

The diva announced her split from Pique in June /2022 after a decade -long relationship ending .Her trial  was expected to run until December with the court scheduled to hear from nearly 120 witnesses.