Messi denies knowledge about tax fraud
Print Edition
FIVE-TIME World Player of the Year Lionel Messi said yesterday he knew nothing about an alleged tax evasion scheme when he signed contracts related to image rights.
The Barcelona and Argentina forward appeared in court in Barcelona yesterday alongside his father Jorge Horacio to testify against charges of tax evasion.
They are accused by the Spanish tax office of defrauding the government of 4.2 million euros (US$4.7 million) between 2007 and 2009. They could face jail terms of up to 22 months if found guilty, although it is customary in Spain that offenders of non-violent crimes with a sentence of under two years do not serve time in jail.
The case centers on Messi’s image rights and a web of shell firms allegedly used to evade taxes on income from those rights.
According to the prosecutors’ office, revenue was hidden using shell companies in Uruguay, Belize, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
In court Messi admitted to signing contracts protecting his image rights but said he had no knowledge he was partaking in any wrongdoing or defrauding the Spanish state. “The truth is that I knew nothing. As my father explained, I was devoted to playing football, I trusted my father, I trusted the lawyers he had chosen to run things and I had no idea about anything,” he said.
“I signed them (contracts) because I trust my father. He is my father and it obviously never crossed my mind that he would fool me or disappoint me so I signed because he told me to, because I trusted him, and as I said before, the lawyers told us to do it that way,” he told the judge.
Asked if he had ever suspected the scheme was set up to avoid tax in Spain, Messi responded: No, because I know nothing about that matter. I was honestly never interested in that.”
Jorge Horacio admitted to signing contracts presented to him by his advisor, but said neither he nor his son knew they were avoiding paying tax on them.
Messi and his father paid 5 million euros (US$5.6 million) to the tax authorities as a “corrective” measure after being formally investigated in June 2013.
The trial is due to end today but Messi and his father will not attend the final day. It is not clear when a verdict will be delivered.
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