Shakira has chosen to be tried in Spain for alleged tax fraud according to her lawyers.
Public relations firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a statement today Wednesday, July 27, that the superstar had opted to stand trial in a Spanish court after rejecting a plea deal.
Details of the deal have not been made public, but if found guilty, she could be sent to jail or receive a significant fine. Those details are likely to be made public once the case progresses through the Barcelona courts.
The company said that Shakira wants to prove her innocence in court and has put her trust in the courts to see justice. They said that she: “Trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the matter in the hands of justice.”
Spanish prosecutors indicted Shakira in 2018 alleging she failed to pay €14.5 million in tax on income she earned between 2012 and 2014.
According to Llorente y Cuenca, he has deposited what the Treasury says he owes in a law firm, alleging that he has no pending tax debts.
At the heart of the case is the claim that Shakira’s official residence was in the Bahamas, but prosecutors disagree saying that she resided primarily in Spain.
Shakira lived with soccer player Gerard Piqué in Barcelona, and the couple had two children. That relationship recently ended after about 11 years together.
The star whose real name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has sold more than 60 million records.
With Shakira agreeing to stand trial in Spain, the courts will now set a trial date.