Shakira could face eight years in jail if convicted in Spanish tax fraud case

• Shakira is accused of owing the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (£12.2 million) in taxes.
• The singer claims she was not a resident of Spain at the time.
• Prosecutors are asking for an eight-year and two-month prison sentence.

Shakira has opted to go to trial after rejecting a settlement deal from the prosecutor’s office to close the case earlier this week.

If Shakira is found guilty in a trial for alleged tax fraud, prosecutors in Spain are asking for an eight-year and two-month prison sentence for her.

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, the Colombian singer’s full name, is accused of owing the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (£12.2 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014.

The singer, whose songs like Hips Don’t Lie have sold more than 80 million records worldwide, claims she was not a resident of Spain at the time.

According to the prosecutors, they will also ask for a fine of 24 million euros ($20.2 million).

Shakira decided to go to trial this week after rejecting a plea bargain offered by the prosecutor’s office to end the case.

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There is no definite date for the trial.

According to Shakira’s public relations team, she has always complied with her tax obligations.

According to the document, the artist has deposited the sum she is alleged to owe, along with 3 million euro (£2.5 million) in interest.

The Grammy winner allegedly should have paid taxes in Spain as she spent more than half of each year between 2012 and 2014 there, according to Barcelona prosecutors.

Shakira, who has two children with former FC Barcelona player Gerard Pique, recently called it quits on their 11-year relationship.

The family had resided in Barcelona, where they first connected when Pique appeared in the music video for Shakira’s “Waka Waka,” the official song of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa (This Time for Africa).

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Her publicists in London said in a statement on Friday that Shakira “has always co-operated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer”.

Shakira’s representatives referred to a previous statement sent out on Wednesday saying she “is fully confident of her innocence” and that she considers the case “a total violation of her rights”.