Tax fraud: Messi loses appeal

By Daily Sports on May 25, 2017

Spain's Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by Barcelona soccer star Lionel Messi and stood by a Catalan regional court's 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud, court documents showed.

The five-times World Player of the Year is unlikely to go to prison, however.

Messi and his father Jorge were found guilty by a Catalan court last July on three counts of tax fraud between 2007 and 2009 to the tune of 4.1 million euros on image rights and were also fined 2 million euros ($2.24 million).

The court reduced Jorge Messi's sentence from 21 months to 15, however, for returning the defrauded amount to Spain's tax authority.

Neither Messi nor his father are expected to serve time in jail, as under Spanish law sentences under two years can be served under probation.

A court statement said Messi "unequivocally understood his obligation to pay tax on income obtained from exploiting his image rights...therefore it is not logical that he should ignore his duty to pay tax on them".

The Supreme Court's ruling brings an end to a case which began in 2013.

Messi, 29, and his father defrauded the Spanish tax office of 4.1 million euros between 2007 and 2009 by using a web of shell companies based in Belize, Switzerland and Uruguay to evade taxes on income from the player's image rights.

Messi, who has won eight La Liga titles, four King's Cups and four Champions League crowns with Barcelona, finished top scorer in Spain this season with 37 league goals.

He is set to play in the King's Cup final next Saturday in Madrid, the last game of the domestic season.

*Photo shows Messi in court.

Source Daily Sports

Posted May 25, 2017


 

You may also like...
Ngannou eyes Joshua, Fury clash on boxing debut...

Onyekuru linked with Valencia, Dortmund

Barcelona Leave Iy Late To Edge Past Elche...

Best young player of Edo FA Cup, 15-year-old...

Arsenal Storm Brentford As English Premier League Returns...

Tribunal admits IReV reports, more election results in...

 

Latest News Nigeria beat Cameroon to reach IHF final 27 schools for Doregos Basketball Championship Super Falcons to play France’s Les Bleues in friendly SWAN suspends ban on coverage of Anambra FA activities Joshua among boxing’s top three earners in 2024 Oshoala makes history with Bay FC Nnamani hails team over IHF bright start Flamingos lift U-17 W’Cup Fair Play Trophy Rangers Intl, SWAN partner on sports collaboration in SE LAGOS SWAN CELEBRATES AIG ZONE 2 ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND 30 DAYS IN OFFICE Traders Cup: Upholstery Soccer Team Secured 2nd Win To Advance To Round Two Lagos SWAN Celebrates Oba Akiolu, Iyaloja General, AIG Fayoade

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,140 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,267 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,349 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (43,988 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,930 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,876 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,717 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,286 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,331 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,034 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,486 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,915 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media