Shakira avoids jail as she settles tax evasion

Los Angeles, Nov 21 (IANS) Singer-songwriter Shakira has slammed the Spanish government as she resolved her alleged tax fraud case the day the trial was due to begin.

The 46-year-old chart topping star had been accused by Spanish authorities of failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($15.8 million) in Spanish income tax between 2012 and 2014, reports 'Mirror.co.uk'.

But the singer had argued she was living a "nomadic life" during the years of 2012 and 2014 and was not based in Spain.

The Colombian star was in a relationship with Spanish footballer Gerard Pique from 2011 until 2022 and together they welcomed sons Milan, born in January 2013, and Sasha, born in January 2015.

As per 'Mirror.co.uk', authorities claimed the megastar bought a property in Barcelona in 2012 that served as their family home -- and have been pursuing her over alleged missing taxes since 2017.

A high-profile court case had been due to begin in Spain on Monday, but ahead of the trial -- which had been due to run through to mid-December -- the singer released a statement to declare that the case had been resolved.

She did not, however, hold back on her scorn for the Spanish authorities.

In a statement, Shakira said: "Throughout my career, I have always strived to do what's right and set a positive example for others. That often means taking the extra step in business and personal financial decisions to procure the absolute best counsel, including seeking the advice of the world's pre-eminent tax authorities PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited and Ernst & Young Global Limited who have been my advisors during this whole process."

She added, "Unfortunately, and despite these efforts, tax authorities in Spain pursued a case against me as they have against many professional athletes and other high-profile individuals, draining those people's energy, time and tranquillity for years at a time. While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour, I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight."