A total of 117 witnesses They are summoned to testify starting next Monday November 20 for the trial of Shakira for alleged tax fraud. The Colombian artist is accused of six crimes against the public treasury for non-payment of income and property taxes in 2012, 2013 and 2014. As EL PERIÓDICO DE CATALUNYA has learned, among those cited are popular figures, such as the brothers Munoz (Tow), Fernando Olvera, singer of Maná, and Antonio de la Rúa, ex-partner of the singer. The case of the Estopa, for example, is for the service of their recording studio.
Among the people mentioned is also Hideki Matsuhisachef of the Michelin star restaurant Koy Shunka, Rossana Kluivertwife of former Barça player Patrick Kluivert, and Marc Puig, representative of PUIG SL. Those called to testify by the prosecution are people who provided services to the singer between 2012 and 2014 to prove that he lived regularly in Barcelona during those years.
Also on the list are four Zumba teacherstwo ‘fitness’, three hairdresserstwo gynecologists from the Teknon Clinic in Barcelona, neighbors of Gerard Piqué and Shakira in Esplugues de Llobregat and also from the Muntaner street apartment of the former Barça footballer, as well as the building’s doorman. Likewise, waiters from some restaurants and workers from hotels that she frequented, such as a hostel in Cabrils and another in Santa Coloma de Queralt.
For its part, the defense of the Colombian singer has proposed Antonio William MebarakShakira’s brother, some friends of the singer, her representatives, her stylists, her choreographer, executives of the Sony Music record company and part of the band that accompanied her during her tours.
The trial against the Colombian singer is expected to last for 12 sessions and will begin next Monday, November 20, and end on December 14 at the Barcelona Court, on different days. In addition to the 117 witnesses, eight experts are summoned. In principle, Shakira is scheduled to be questioned on the first day, that is, Monday, after the previous questions, although the defense could request that she do so last. The court may also allow the Colombian artist to only attend on the first day, when she declares and before the end, when she will have the right to the last word.
The accusation
Prosecutor Carmen Martín Aragón requests in her provisional accusation document eight years and one month in prison and fines for a total of 23.8 million euros for Shakira (Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) for allegedly having defrauded the Tax Agency of 14.5 million of euros between the years 2012 and 2014. The artist has already deposited the amount of the debt with the Treasury and has regularized her situation before the Tax Agency, paying thousands of euros more to pay the taxes that correspond to her. For this reason, the prosecution applies the highly qualified mitigating circumstance of reparation for the damage, which reduces the sentence request as a whole.
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The public accusation maintains that Shakira has committed six alleged crimes of fraud against the Treasury committed for non-payment of income and wealth taxes in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and individually sentences of one year to one year and six months are requested. The prosecution argues that the artist used a corporate network to defraud, with ramifications in tax havens, and that she pretended to live abroad when in reality she did so in Barcelona with the soccer player Gerard Piqué, from whom she has now separated.
The public accusation specifies in its brief that most of the time it was in our country and exceeded the 183 days established by law to consider that a person is habitually resident in Spain and, therefore, must pay their taxes here. The defense questions these calculations and requests acquittal. In July last year, Shakira rejected a plea deal to avoid trial, although the situation may now have changed.