What happened to Shakira? Internet responds with hilarious escape jail memes as singer faces 8-year prison sentence in tax fraud case

Reuters reports that Spanish prosecutors in Madrid are reportedly seeking an eight-year prison sentence for the internationally renowned pop diva Shakira. According to additional information provided by the news agency, the court documents that were made public on Friday, July 29, included a demand for a potential prison sentence as well as a fine of more than 23 million euros ($ 23.5 million or £19 million).

In accordance with the demands of the prosecution, the court in Barcelona is expected to impose a fine on the Colombian singer-songwriter as well as the possibility of a prison sentence. The musician, who is 45 years old, is accused of committing fraud in the form of tax payments on six separate occasions between 2012 and 2014.

However, reports indicate that the Colombian musician has turned down an out-of-court settlement that included the possibility of a plea offer. This means that the Grammy-winning singer’s case alleging that she committed tax fraud will move forward to the trial phase. The judge in charge of the case in Spain will now select a date for the trial, during which the singer and her attorney will present their defence against the accusations made by the public prosecutors.

Shakira’s spokesperson responds to tax-fraud allegations

Shakira’s representatives, in a recent statement to the media, emphasised the singer’s diligence as “an individual and a taxpayer,” going on to say that she has always abided by the counsel of the “globally recognised tax firm” PricewaterhouseCoopers. The statement also emphasised Shakira’s diligence as “an individual and a taxpayer” (PWC). In continuation of its discussion of the allegations of tax fraud, the statement said:

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, better known by her stage name, is suspected of perpetrating tax fraud of roughly 14.5 million euros and is said to have been a tax resident of Spain since 2012. Her full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll.

Netizens react to Shakira’s tax-fraud allegations

These charges have, as was to be expected, received a significant response from a legion of people across various social media platforms. Some others have even joked that they will break into a prison in Spain to release the pop star if it turns out that she is being held there. As a result of the claims, memes and video skits pertaining to the artist have been created. The vast majority of this content consisted of jokes about how she would get out of being locked up by using her dance skills.

Shakira’s tax-fraud allegations explained:

The native of Barranquilla, Colombia, who is now 45 years old, had his tax filings in order in the Bahamas, but he did not become an official taxpayer in Spain until around the year 2015. On the other hand, the Spanish authorities have asserted that the singer for Hips Don’t Lie should have been required to pay taxes even before that time.

To provide more clarification, Spanish taxpayers are required to pay taxes on their whole worldwide income. Furthermore, according to the legislation, any official visitor who spends more than 183 days per year in Spain is required to make tax payments to the Spanish government. This applies to anyone who is in the nation on official business.

According to the claims made by the Spanish administration, Shakira stayed in the nation for a total of 697 days between the years 2012 and 2014. The singer was accused of having spent 242 days in the nation in 2012, 212 days in the next year, and 243 days in the year after that, according to a published breakdown of the claims. Only at that point in time did the original Colombian have a taxpayer identification number in the Bahamas.

The timeframe of her reportedly extended stays in Spain is convincing to some people due to the fact that she had been in a relationship with the Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué since late 2010 or early 2011. Piqué’s nickname for her is “the Queen of Latin Music.” The relationship between the two people ended early this year. In the midst of all of this, the pop star purchased a home in Barcelona in May of 2012, and according to reports, it has since become the family home for her, Pique, and their children.

The singer has refuted all of the accusations that have been made against her, and her managers have reiterated that she has complied with all of the applicable tax requirements. However, she was able to repay the Spanish authority the nearly 15 million dollars that she was responsible for. In addition, the Colombian star was responsible for making interest payments of around $3.65 million (or £3 million).

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