Spanish prosecutors told a Barcelona court they will seek a 98-month prison term and a hefty fine if Colombian pop singer Shakira Mebarak is found guilty of tax evasion.
In 2018 prosecutors indicted the singer, who is known by her first name, for tax fraud, alleging that she claimed to be a resident of the Bahamas when she was actually residing in Spain from 2012 through 2014. On July 27 Shakira’s lawyers rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors that would have let her avoid trial on charges of evading €14.5 million in taxes. The deal reportedly would have required Shakira to plead guilty to tax fraud in exchange for a prison sentence of no more than two years. Under Spanish law, first-time offenders normally receive probation for sentences of shorter durations.
On July 29 the prosecutor’s office told the court that it will seek a prison term of eight years and two months and a fine of €23.7 million if Shakira is convicted.
The singer has denied the charges, saying that she earned most of her income from international tours before taking up Spanish residency in 2015.