Barça's Lionel Messi gets 21-month suspended sentence over tax 'evasion'
Thursday, July 7, 2016 @ 8:38 AM
BARÇA FC's Lionel 'Leo' Messi and his father Jorge have been sentenced to 21 months in prison for alleged tax fraud relating to the Argentinian forward's image royalties.
But neither will have to go to jail, since Spanish law dictates that for a first offence of any nature, a sentence of less than two years does not have to be served.
Messi Junior has always maintained he had no idea what was happening with his money, since he does not have any specialist financial or taxation knowledge and left it up to his father to deal with.
And Jorge Messi also insisted Leo was not at fault - "he just played football," the forward's father said - but that the family had trusted the accountants handling their affairs to act within the law.
Front companies set up in tax havens, including Belize and Uruguay, were used to launder Leo Messi's earnings, the prosecution in Barcelona claimed, but Messi Senior said he had been told by his accountants that the structure was legal.
The Barça player ended up owing €4 million in tax to the Spanish authorities, which he paid instantly - plus interest and fines - as soon as he was notified.
However, as the amount of tax avoided exceeded €120,000, it placed the affair within the 'criminal' rather than 'civil offence' category.
FC Barça has always fully backed the Messis, and says it will continue to offer all the support it can to the family.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com