Shakira's Tax Fraud Case: "Innocence Will Be Proven"

Shakira is headed to court.

On Sept. 27, a judge ordered that the Columbian popular star will beryllium brought to proceedings successful Spain connected six charges of tax fraud, according to the Associated Press (via NBC News).

The day for the trial—which volition instrumentality spot successful the municipality of Esplugues de Llobregat adjacent Barcelona—has yet to beryllium set.

In 2018, Spanish prosecutors charged Shakira, 45, with taxation evasion, accusing the "She Wolf" vocalist of not paying up to 14.5 cardinal euros (about $13.9 million) successful taxes betwixt 2012 and 2014. According to the AP, Spanish prosecutors alleged Shakira spent much than fractional of that play surviving successful Spain—where her now-ex Gerard Piqué plays nonrecreational soccer—and should person paid taxes successful the country, adjacent though her official residence was listed arsenic the Bahamas.

In July, the AP reported that prosecutors said they would inquire a tribunal to condemnation Shakira to 8 years and 2 months successful prison, if she is convicted successful her expected proceedings for alleged taxation fraud. That aforesaid month, the Grammy victor rejected prosecutors' connection to settle the lawsuit and avoid trial.

Shakira has repeatedly denied immoderate wrongdoing, with a rep telling E! News in July that the Latin superstar "has ever cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable behaviour arsenic an idiosyncratic and a taxpayer."

The connection continued, "Unfortunately, the Spanish Tax Office, which loses 1 retired of each 2 lawsuits with its taxpayers, continues to interruption her rights and prosecute yet different baseless case. Shakira is assured that her innocence volition beryllium proven by the extremity of the judicial process."

"These are false accusations," she stated in the publication's October screen communicative connected Sept. 21. "First of all, I didn't walk 183 days per twelvemonth astatine that clip astatine all. I was engaged fulfilling my nonrecreational commitments astir the world. Second, I've paid everything they claimed I owed, adjacent earlier they filed a lawsuit. So arsenic of today, I beryllium zero to them."

"I was advised by 1 of the 4 biggest tax specializer firms successful the world, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, truthful I was assured that I was doing things correctly and transparently from time one," she continued. "However, adjacent without grounds to enactment these fictional claims, arsenic they usually do, they've resorted to a salacious property run to effort to sway people, and use unit successful the media on with the menace of reputational harm successful bid to coerce colony agreements."