Rabat – Colombian pop singer Shakira reached a settlement on Monday to avoid a trial in Spain over charges of failing to pay €14.5 million in Spanish income tax between 2012 and 2014, Reuters reported.
The singer has accepted the charges, agreeing to pay a fine of €7 million, half of the amount owed, Reuters reported. To further sidestep a potential three-year prison sentence, Shakira also agreed to an additional fine of €438,000.
The settlement came during the trial’s first hearing, where she responded “yes” when asked if she recognized the facts and accepted the new penalties, according to the report.
In a statement released by her Spanish communication agency, Shakira explained that her decision to settle was driven by personal, emotional, and sentimental reasons unrelated to legal considerations. She expressed readiness to defend her innocence but emphasized prioritizing her career and her children.
“I have reached the conclusion that winning is not a victory if the price is that they rob you of so many years of your life,” Shakira said.
The tax evasion allegations were based on the claim that Shakira spent more than half of each of the years in question in Spain, making her a resident of the country. The prosecution also argued that a property she purchased in Barcelona in May 2012 served as a family home.
Shakira had previously vowed to fight what she called false accusations. The prosecutor’s office sought up to eight years in prison and aimed to reclaim the alleged unpaid taxes.
Miriam Company, one of Shakira’s lawyers, stated outside the courthouse that the decision to settle was motivated by personal issues. Despite the legal team’s confidence in proving Shakira’s innocence, circumstances led to the acceptance of the charges, she added.
