Shakira REJECTS Deal, Headed To Trial In $15 Million Tax Scandal On Heels Of Breakup
Shakira insists her hips don't lie, and neither does she. The Colombian-born singer, 45, rejected the Spanish prosecutors' deal offer and has opted to go to trial to prove her alleged innocence after being accused of failing to pay the government 14.5 million euros ($15 million) in taxes, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Shakira “trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law,” her R firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a statement on Wednesday.
As RadarOnline.com reported, the Whenever, Wherever singer faces possible jail time if she's found guilty of tax evasion after being accused of not paying taxes to the Spanish government between 2012 and 2014, despite living in the country most of that time.
Shakira testified three years ago and denied any wrongdoing — however, last year, Judge Marco Juberías declared that there was enough evidence to take her case to trial.
When Shakira was first accused of the crime, her team adamantly denied the allegations.
"There is currently no debt," they insisted at the time. "Shakira has always fulfilled her tax duties in all those countries in which she has worked, including in the period between 2011 and 2014."
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"She followed the opinions and precise recommendations of her advisers, who are top-level professionals from one of the biggest companies in the world," the statement concluded.
Shakira was named in one of the largest leaks in offshore data history in October. Dubbed "Pandora Papers," the 11.9 million file leak held a treasure trove of information from 14 companies hired by the world's wealthiest to set up trusts and offshore structures for alleged tax avoidance purposes in places like the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Dubai, and more.
Shakira's decision to head to trial comes on the heels of a fresh breakup.
As RadarOnline.com reported, the Hips Don't Lie songbird ended her 11-year relationship with her longtime partner, football star Gerard Pique, in June.
The exes share two sons together — Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7.
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