The
trial of Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi on tax fraud charges
has begun in Spain.
Messi
and his father Jorge, who manages his financial affairs, are accused of
defrauding Spain of more than €4m (£3m; $4.5m) between 2007 and 2009.
The
authorities allege that the two used tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to
conceal earnings from image rights.
The
Spanish tax agency is demanding heavy fines and prison sentences. They deny any
wrongdoing. The
trial is expected to last for three days, with Messi appearing in court on
Thursday.
The
income related to Messi's image rights, including contracts with Banco
Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter and Gamble, and the Kuwait Food
Company.
Messi's
lawyers had argued that the player had "never devoted a minute of his life
to reading, studying or analysing" the contracts.
But
the high court in Barcelona ruled in June 2015 that the football star should
not be granted immunity for not knowing what was happening with his finances,
which were being managed in part by his father.
Messi
and his father made a voluntary €5m (£3.8m, $5.6m) "corrective
payment" - equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest - in August 2013.
Messi
is the five-time World Player of the Year and one of the richest athletes in
the world.
Source: BBC
news
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