Shakira found herself in a legal mess where she could incur hefty penalties or even be slapped with a lengthy prison sentence.
Accused of six financial crimes in Spain, the Colombian pop star faces eight years and two months behind bars and a fine of €23.8 million.
The ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ singer has been accused of committing tax fraud in Spain, avoiding over $20 million in tax payments.
However, Spanish journalist Jordi Martin claimed that Shakira’s former father-in-law was the one who got her into the current mess she is in.
Martin said Gerard Pique’s father Joan Pique, reportedly advised the Latin American star wrongly.
Speaking during in a recent talk show, the journalist commented that it was Pique’s dad who handled the accounts for the family during the time the singer was married to the former Spain and Barcelona football star.
“Pique’s father is the one who kept the accounting of the entire conglomerate of companies. He is the one who gave bad advice to Shakira. Shakira is paying too big a toll today because of her father-in-law. Shakira cannot speak because she is two months away from a trial,” Martin said.
The ongoing tax fraud case could be a big blow for Shakira if the court found her guilty.
Things have turned from bad to worst for Shakira in the past few weeks. The Colombian pop star earlier in September was accused of omitting tax payments to the Spanish government.
A court in Barcelona received a lawsuit noting that the singer has omitted tax payments of up to $16 million during her time in Spain. To add more to her worries, another lawsuit was filed against her under the same allegations just days after the first lawsuit.
A group of Spanish prosecutors have noted that the Grammy Award winner, during her time in Spain, used “companies domiciled in countries with low taxation and high opacity” to divert her money.
If Shakira is convicted in either of the cases, the singer is likely to face time behind bars. As per the current law in Spain, the Colombian could be convicted for eight years for her alleged tax fraud.
Shakira and Gerard Pique were in a relationship for over a decade, from 2010 to 2022. They had two children together before an ugly break-up in 2022 after reports surfaced of Pique’s alleged affair with current girlfriend, Clara Chia Marti.
Related: Shakira launches a blistering attack on her cheating ex-husband Gerard Piqué
