Shakira rejects plea deal, opts to go to trial over alleged tax fraud in Spain

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Shakira has opted to be tried by Spanish prosecutors over allegations of tax fraud in Spain, her public relations team said Wednesday.

The 45-year-old Colombian singer rejected a plea deal offered by the Spanish authorities and wants to prove her innocence in court, according to her lawyers.

Shakira “trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law,” the PR firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a statement obtained by ABC News.

In 2018, Spanish prosecutors charged the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer with failing to pay €14.5 million — the equivalent of $14,797,250 U.S. — in taxes on income she earned between 2012 and 2014.

If found guilty she could face a fine and/or prison time. The court has not set a date for the trial.

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