A Barcelona court said on Monday that Colombian diva Shakira has reached a settlement with Spanish prosecutors to avoid going to trial for tax fraud, which included paying a fine of more than €7.3 million ($7.98 million).
Shakira refuted the accusations made by the prosecution, stating she only relocated to Spain permanently in 2015. The celebrity was accused of defrauding the Spanish state of around €14.5 million ($15.7 million) on revenue generated between 2012 and 2014.
Shakira agreed to pay a fine of €7.33 million ($7.98 million), which is equivalent to half of the amount of unpaid tax, and to get a three-year suspended sentence as part of the agreement, which was revealed at the beginning of the singer’s 46-year trial.
The singer of “Hips Don’t Lie” will also have to pay an additional €432,000 in fines in order to have her jail term suspended; this would raise her total obligation to pay to about €7.8 million.
The singer stated in a statement that she had settled “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,” rejecting an earlier offer from the prosecution.
“I need to put the stress and emotional toll of the past few years behind me and concentrate on the things I love, which are my kids and all the opportunities ahead of me in my career, like my upcoming world tour and new album,” she continued.
“I have the utmost respect for those who have persevered against these injustices, but for me, victory right now means having more time for my family and career.”