In Summary
- Colombian pop star Shakira accused of tax crimes for the second time.
- Prosecutors allege that the pop star defrauded the state approximately Ksh.1 Billion
Singer Shakira has been charged with tax evasion for the second time by the Spanish government. Prosecutors in Spain allege the singer defrauded the state of approximately Ksh.1,049,380,000 in 2018.
They say this happened when she failed to declare millions in advance payments for her El Dorado World Tour, among other payments.
Spanish prosecutors opened the second investigation in July 2023, but released the details on Tuesday.
Spanish network RTVE says the 46-year-old singer is aware of the new charges, but news agency Reuters reports that Shakira’s legal team in Miami – where she now lives – has not yet been told about them.
The new charges depend on the fact that in 2018, Shakira was living in Barcelona with football star Gerard Pique and was therefore required to tax all her international revenue there.
They argue that she instead diverted her money to “companies domiciled in countries with low taxation and high opacity”.
Shakira faces trial over six separate alleged tax crimes in Barcelona this November – charges she has denied.
In that case, she has been accused of failing to pay Ksh. 2 Billion in tax between 2012 and 2014, but has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
