Lionel Messi given 21-month jail term for tax fraud
MADRID: Barcelona soccer star Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after a court in Barcelona found him guilty of three counts of tax fraud, a statement from the court said on Wednesday.
The court also sentenced Messi’s father, Jorge, to 21 months in prison for the same charges. The sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court, the statement added.
The reported added that his father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.2m; $4.6m) between 2007 and 2009. During the trial, prosecutors said tax havens in Belize and Uruguay were used to conceal earnings from image rights.
They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay used to conceal earnings from image rights. However, they are likely to avoid jail.Under the Spanish system, prison terms under two years can be served under probation. The footballer and his father were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud in Wednesday's ruling by the court in Barcelona.
The court ordered Messi to pay a fine of around 2 million euros ($2.21 million) and his father to pay 1.5 million euros for the crimes. ($1 = 0.9034 euros) (Reporting by Madrid newsroom; Writing by Angus Berwick; Editing by Sonya Dowsett).
The court also sentenced Messi’s father, Jorge, to 21 months in prison for the same charges. The sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court, the statement added.
The reported added that his father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.2m; $4.6m) between 2007 and 2009. During the trial, prosecutors said tax havens in Belize and Uruguay were used to conceal earnings from image rights.
They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay used to conceal earnings from image rights. However, they are likely to avoid jail.Under the Spanish system, prison terms under two years can be served under probation. The footballer and his father were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud in Wednesday's ruling by the court in Barcelona.
The court ordered Messi to pay a fine of around 2 million euros ($2.21 million) and his father to pay 1.5 million euros for the crimes. ($1 = 0.9034 euros) (Reporting by Madrid newsroom; Writing by Angus Berwick; Editing by Sonya Dowsett).
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