- Title: SOCCER-SPAIN/MESSI-FILE Messi faces tax fraud trial
- Date: 11th June 2015
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (JUNE 7, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MESSI WALKING ON TO NOU CAMP PITCH AND GREETED BY THOUSANDS OF FANS AS THEY CELEBRATE WINNING THE TREBLE MESSI JOINING HIS TEAM MATES ON STAGE
- Embargoed: 26th June 2015 13:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAD3FZCAQG91OUGGYT20S9THUVT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi will face trial for tax fraud after a Spanish court in Barcelona dismissed his latest appeal.
The four-times world player of the year and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, were accused in 2013 of defrauding the Spanish state over 4m euros (3.1m pounds; $5m) by filing false tax returns between 2006 and 2009.
Spain's public prosecutor argued in June that Messi's father Jorge was responsible for the family's finances and not the Argentina captain.
A court in Barcelona decided, however, Lionel Messi could have known about and approved the creation of a web of shell companies that were allegedly used to evade taxes due on income from image rights.
Messi and his father made a voluntary 5m euros payment, equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest, in August 2013. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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