Shakira is going to have her day in court.
On Tuesday, a judge in Spain approved prosecutors’ requests for a trial against the Colombian-born pop star. A date for the showdown has not been set yet, but it’s official: Shakira will be trying to prove her case against government officials in the increasingly-tense situation regarding her alleged tax evasion.
Related: Shakira Breaks Silence On ‘Incredibly Difficult’ Split From Gerard Piqué!
According to ABC News, the 45-year-old singer is facing six counts of tax fraud. The court, based in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona, determined on Tuesday there was enough evidence in the allegations against the singer to bring the case to trial. As we’ve been reporting, Spanish prosecutors have alleged the Grammy winner lived in Spain for more than half of the years between 2012 and 2014. They say she should have paid taxes in the country, but did not. They claim that Shakira instead kept her official residence during that period in the Bahamas.
In total, the government alleges she failed to pay 14.5 million euros (about $13.9 million) in taxes on income earned during those years. Prosecutors are being very aggressive with their case, too: they previously announced they are seeking an eight-year prison sentence and a significant fine, on top of restitution, if the Hips Don’t Lie singer is found guilty.
For her part, Shakira continues to deny any willful wrongdoing. Her PR team recently said she already paid back tax money she owed, as well as an additional 3 million euros in interest. In fact, the La Bicicleta singer even rejected a plea deal with Spanish authorities that would have avoided a trial. But now, here we are.
Of course, the musical artist is also dealing with the fallout from the end of her relationship with Gerard Piqué following bombshell cheating accusations against the soccer star. 2022 has not been a banner year for her — to put it mildly.
Jeez!!
[Image via FayesVision/WENN]
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