SHAKIRA – Already set to face trial by the Spanish government for alleged tax fraud between 2012 and 2014 totaling 14.5 million euros, the pop star is now facing another investigation of two possible instances of tax fraud from 2018, per the Associated Press.
Regarding this new investigation, a source with knowledge of the situation told Newsgist77 that “Shakira defends having always acted in accordance with the law and under the advice of the best tax experts.”
The insider added that the Colombian singer “is now focused on her life as an artist in Miami and is confident that there will be a favorable resolution of her tax issues.”
Although no additional details regarding this new investigation have been released, the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer’s trial date has yet to be set for her original tax fraud charges, according to the AP. This case hinges on where she spent the majority of her time—Spain, where she was living with her now ex Gerard Piqué, or in her residence in the Bahamas.
Newsgist77 has reached out to Shakira’s rep regarding the new case but has not received a comment.
Regarding the original case against her, Shakira has maintained her innocence, explaining why she’s chosen to fight the charges rather than settle. “Because I have to fight for what I believe in, because they are false charges,” the 46-year-old told Elle in October. “First of all, I didn’t spend 183 days a year [in Spain] at the time. I was busy fulfilling my professional obligations all over the world. Secondly, I paid everything they said they owed me, even before they filed the lawsuit. So to this day, I owe them nothing.”
She also revealed that she had always acted on advice from tax experts and accused Spain of using the media against her. “I was advised by one of the world’s four largest tax firms,” added Shakira. “That’s why I was confident from day one that I was doing things right and with transparency. But despite the lack of evidence to support these fictitious claims, as usual they resort to a dastardly press campaign to sway people and pressure the media, along with threats of reputational damage, to force a settlement agreement.”