A Spanish judge in Barcelona, Esplugues de Llobregat, has initiated a new investigation against renowned Colombian singer Shakira for alleged tax fraud.
According to VOA1, Judge Marco Jesús Juberías ordered the investigation after arguing that Shakira’s extended stay in Spain for more than 200 days from 2012 to 2014 made her liable for $16.2 million in unpaid taxes in the country.
Judge Juberías accused Shakira’s financial advisor of using offshore bank accounts to conceal her income sources over the years. Shakira’s legal team maintains her innocence and expresses confidence in a favorable resolution to her tax affairs.
The 46-year-old singer, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is alleged to have evaded paying taxes in Spain during the years 2012 to 2014, a period when she resided in Spain with her partner Gérard Piqué and their family.
Shakira, however, argues that her primary residence during that period was in the Bahamas, and she was touring internationally. Despite her claims, the judge ruled that there is enough evidence of criminality to proceed with charges of tax fraud against Shakira.