Colombian superstar, Shakira will pay a fine of over €7.3 million ($7.98 million) as part of a deal with Spanish prosecutors to avoid trial for tax fraud, a Barcelona court said Monday.
Prosecutors had accused the superstar of defrauding the Spanish state of around €14.5 million ($15.7 million) on income earned between 2012 and 2014, charges Shakira had denied, saying she only moved to Spain full-time in 2015.
Under the deal, announced at the start of what would have been the trial of the 46-year-old singer, Shakira agreed to receive a three-year suspended sentence and to pay a fine of €7.33 million ($7.98 million) amounting to 50 percent of the amount of unpaid tax.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer will also pay a separate fine of €432,000 to have her jail sentence suspended, bringing the total amount she will have to pay to around €7.8 million.
The singer, who had previously rejected a deal offered by prosecutors, said in a statement 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.
She added; “I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career, including my upcoming world tour and my new album.
I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career.”
