UPDATE: Pop star Shakira reaches a deal with Spanish prosecutors on the first day of tax fraud trial

Last edited Mon Nov 20, 2023, 07:09 AM - Edit history (1)

EDIT: article updated at link

Original AP headline: Pop star Shakira appears in a Barcelona court on the first day of her tax fraud trial in Spain



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Source: Associated Press

Pop star Shakira reaches a deal with Spanish prosecutors on the first day of tax fraud trial

BY JOSEPH WILSON
Updated 6:05 AM EST, November 20, 2023

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — After having maintained her innocence for nearly five years, pop star Shakira struck a last-minute deal to avoid the risk of going to prison on the opening day of her tax fraud trial in Barcelona on Monday.

Shakira told the presiding magistrate, José Manuel del Amo, that she accepted the agreement reached with prosecutors. She answered “yes” to confirm her acknowledgement of six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014.

Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and a fine of 7 million euros ($7.6 million).

The trial, which would have included more than 100 witnesses over the following weeks, was instead called off after just eight minutes.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/shakira-spain-trial-tax-fraud-bahamas-9c594f89ddce35c76ea08b02192b120b



Shakira arriving at court: "I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years" (EPA)