Judge Orders Shakira To Stand Trial In Spain For Tax Fraud As Prosecutors Seek An Eight-Year Prison Sentence

Shakira will have to stand trial for allegedly failing to pay $13.9 million in taxes between the years of 2012 and 2014, a Spanish judge ordered on Tuesday, with prosecutors looking to impose an eight-year prison sentence.

The 45-year-old, who has denied any wrongdoing, will also face a stiff fine if prosecutors win a conviction of the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer.

She has already rejected a plea agreement that would have spared her a trial, having insisted she only lived in Spain for part of the year during that two-year period.

Meanwhile, Shakira’s public relations firm maintains she has already paid off all of the back tax debt, alongside an additional 3 million euros, or $2.8 million USD, in interest.

She’s currently facing six counts of tax fraud, per the court which is based in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat near Barcelona.