Spanish prosecutors accused Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo of evading 14.7 million euros in tax through offshore companies.
The 32-year-old, world’s highest-paid athlete follows the steps of Argentina star Lionel Messi. Messi found guilty of the same offence last year. However, the sums involved were relatively smaller.
Ronaldo is accused of “four crimes against the public treasury between 2011-14, that involves tax fraud of 14,768,897 euros ($16.5m, £12.9m)”, Madrid’s public prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Prosecutors accuse the Portugal international of evading tax via a shell company based in the British Virgin Islands and another in Ireland, known for its low corporate tax rate.
Ronaldo’s lawyer said the four-time World Player of the Year was stunned by the accusations.
Court sentenced Messi, a 21-month jail sentence. An amount of 2.09-million-euro were fined last year for tax fraud.
The court suspends the prison term later. It’s common in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying a sentence of fewer than two years.
The 29-year-old and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were found guilty of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi’s income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.
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