Colombian music sensation Shakira has agreed to pay a substantial fine of over €7.3 million ($7.98 million) as part of a negotiated deal with Spanish prosecutors, sparing her from a tax fraud trial.
The Barcelona court confirmed the resolution on Monday, News About Nigeria gathered.
The prosecution had accused the 46-year-old singer of defrauding the Spanish state of approximately €14.5 million ($15.7 million) in taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014.
Shakira consistently denied these charges, claiming that she only became a full-time resident of Spain in 2015.
In the agreement that preempted the trial, Shakira accepted a three-year suspended sentence and committed to paying a fine of €7.33 million ($7.98 million), equivalent to 50 percent of the unpaid tax amount.
Additionally, the ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ hitmaker will make a separate payment of €432,000 to suspend her jail sentence, bringing the total settlement to around €7.8 million.
In a statement released as the deal was announced, Shakira expressed that she reached the settlement “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 emphasised her need to move beyond the stress and emotional toll of recent years, focusing on her children and upcoming career opportunities, including a world tour and a new album.
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.”
