Sports / Soccer
Lionel Messi investigated for tax fraud in Spain
12 Jun 2013 at 09:20hrs | Views
Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi and his father are being investigated in Spain for allegedly defrauding the state of more than 4m euros (£3.4m).
The 25-year-old Argentina forward and his father, Jorge Horacio, are suspected of filing fraudulent tax returns for 2007-09, officials say.
His net annual salary at Barcelona is said to be 16m euros, making him one of the world's highest-paid athletes.
Messi responded to reports he and his father are being investigated in Spain for allegedly defrauding the state of more than 4m euros.
A statement on his facebook site, read: "We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities.
"We are surprised about those news, because we have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advices of our Tax Consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation."
On Wednesday, a complaint signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado was filed at the courthouse in Gava - the affluent Barcelona district where Messi lives.
Judges at the courthouse must accept the complaint before the suspects can be charged, reports say.
Messi and his father are suspected of using companies abroad - in Belize and Uruguay - to sell the rights to use the footballer's image.
The accusation is that by using companies based outside Spain where he lives and plays club football, Messi and his father avoided paying more than 4m euros in tax.
If convicted, Messi could face up to six years in prison and a large fine, according to Spain's EFE news agency.
The 25-year-old Argentina forward and his father, Jorge Horacio, are suspected of filing fraudulent tax returns for 2007-09, officials say.
His net annual salary at Barcelona is said to be 16m euros, making him one of the world's highest-paid athletes.
Messi responded to reports he and his father are being investigated in Spain for allegedly defrauding the state of more than 4m euros.
A statement on his facebook site, read: "We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities.
"We are surprised about those news, because we have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advices of our Tax Consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation."
On Wednesday, a complaint signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado was filed at the courthouse in Gava - the affluent Barcelona district where Messi lives.
Judges at the courthouse must accept the complaint before the suspects can be charged, reports say.
Messi and his father are suspected of using companies abroad - in Belize and Uruguay - to sell the rights to use the footballer's image.
The accusation is that by using companies based outside Spain where he lives and plays club football, Messi and his father avoided paying more than 4m euros in tax.
If convicted, Messi could face up to six years in prison and a large fine, according to Spain's EFE news agency.
Source - BBC
