The Colombian pop superstar has chosen to go to court over allegations she defrauded Spain's government of €14.5 million in taxes.
ADVERTISEMENTIn July, superstar singer Shakira opted to be tried by Spanish prosecutors over allegations she defrauded Spain's government of nearly €15 million in taxes.
According to her lawyers, the 45-year-old Colombian rejected a plea deal offered by the Spanish authorities and wants to prove her innocence in court.
Now, Shakira has made her first public comments about the case.
"I have to fight for what I believe because these are false accusations," she told Elle magazine. "I owe zero to them."
Shakira “trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law," her public relations firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a statement.
In 2018, Spanish prosecutors charged the pop sensation behind the famous hit Hips Don't Lie with failing to pay €14.5 million in taxes on income she earned between 2012 and 2014.
She could be fined or sent to prison if found guilty of tax evasion.
Prosecutors have offered no further details about the deal, which remains on the table until the trial opens in Barcelona.
Shakira’s public relations firm said she deposited the amount she is said to owe with the Spanish Tax Agency and has no pending tax debts.
The case hinges on where she lived between 2012-14.
Prosecutors claim it was mostly in Spain even though Shakira's official residence was in the Bahamas.
Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has two children with Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique. The couple used to live together in Barcelona but recently ended their 11-year relationship.
Shakira, who has sold more than 60 million albums, separated from Pique in June. Shakira claims that the authorities only came at here after the split because they had "their eyes on the prize".
"While Gerard and I were dating, I was on a world tour. I spent more than 240 days outside of Spain, so there was no way I qualified as a resident," she said.
"The Spanish tax authorities saw that I was dating a Spanish citizen and started to salivate. It’s clear they wanted to go after that money no matter what," Shakira claimed.
No date for the trial has been set.