An early 2000s pop sensation, and cause of many a young man to hit puberty early, is facing nearly a decade in prison for evading taxes in Spain. Shakira, the Columbian-born singer and dancer, is accused of failing to pay millions of dollars during extended stays in her country with a then-boyfriend professional footballer.
Shakira, who was successful in her own right in the Spanish-speaking world before crossover hits like “Whenever, Wherever” and “Hips Don’t Lie” allowed her to shimmy and gyrate to an English-speaking audience. If Spanish prosecutors are successful, she might be dancing for a different audience altogether.
Newsbreak provided some insight into some of the details of an apparent Wesley Snipes redux:
“Prosecutors in Spain said Friday they would ask a court to sentence Colombian pop star Shakira to eight years and two months in prison, if she is convicted in her expected trial for alleged tax fraud.
Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is charged with failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros ($15 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014. The prosecutors said they would also seek a fine of 24 million euros ($24 million).
The indictment details six charges against Shakira. The singer this week rejected a settlement deal offered by prosecutors, opting to go to trial instead. A trial date has yet to be set.”
Maybe something got lost in translation from Spanish media accounts, or maybe Spain doesn’t mess around with tax cheats. For owing just $15 million dollars, a fine of $24 million in addition to the owed back pay seems excessive. Maybe if the WEF-controlled EU leaders didn’t shut down their economies and print loads of money they wouldn’t need people like Shakira to make up the difference.
In response, Shakira’s team remained relatively quiet, though they didn’t deny the indictment. Instead, they mentioned only that the Columbian had fulfilled her duties and included interest on top of what was said to be owed.
“Her publicists in London said in a statement Friday that Shakira “has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer.” The publicists accused the Spanish Tax Agency of violating her rights.
Shakira’s Spanish public relations team said earlier this week that the artist has deposited the amount she is said to owe, including 3 million euros in interest.”
For what it’s worth, $3 million in interest seems a little more reasonable than $24 million in fines. There’s sending a message, and then there’s simply gross theft because governments feel like they are gods among mere mortals – and have the barrels of guns to back them up.
It is also interesting to note that Shakira didn’t appear to deny anything; rather, she seems to have made good on her debts. For someone that isn’t even a Spanish national, seeking any prison time – let alone eight full years – smacks of government corruption. Look, I certainly don’t feel bad for celebrity millionaires, but as time goes on I have no problem with people keeping what’s theirs. Our governments are the biggest cheats out there – and since income tax is already armed robbery – they can all go shove it as far as I am concerned.
Kudos to Shakira for not giving the bloated and corrupt E.U. anymore revenues.
Newsbreak ended its article noting from where the charges originally stemmed:
“Prosecutors in Barcelona have alleged the Grammy winner spent more than half of each year between 2012 and 2014 in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country.
Shakira recently ended an 11-year-long relationship with FC Barcelona star Gerard Piqué, with whom she has two children. The family used to live in Barcelona.”
Hailey Sanibel fiercely loves freedom. She equally detests evil and stupidity, both of which are out of control in the modern world. She is a regular contributor at The Blue State Conservative.
Featured image: Shakira_at_Obama_Inaugural.JPG: Yeoman 1st Class Donna Lou MorganDerivative work: Tabercil, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This story syndicated with permission from The Blue State Conservative