- Title: Ronaldo testifes in court on tax fraud charges and avoids media
- Date: 31st July 2017
- Summary: POZUELO DE ALARCON, SPAIN (JULY 31, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF COURT ENTRANCE, JOURNALISTS WAITING POLICEMAN WHISPERING TO ANOTHER POLICEMAN MAN BRINGING OUT PODIUM AND SETTING IT UP IN FRONT OF COURT POLICE MAN CARRYING OUT AUDIO TEST AT PODIUM POLICE INAKI TORRES, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS AT GESTIFUTE, THE COMPANY THAT REPRESENTS RONALDO, WALKING TOWARDS PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) INAKI TORRES, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS AT GESTIFUTE, SAYING: "Only a few words to tell you the player has testified, everything is in order, he's on his way home." MEDIA, EMPTY PODIUM TORRES SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS MEDIA EXTERIOR COURT VARIOUS OF RONALDO'S LAWYERS GETTING INTO CAR PARKED OUTSIDE UNDERGROUND CAR PARK ENTRANCE CAR LEAVING
- Embargoed: 14th August 2017 13:18
- Keywords: Cristiano Ronaldo Ronaldo tax tax fraud court court case image rights soccer
- Location: POZUELO DE ALARCON, SPAIN
- City: POZUELO DE ALARCON, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0026S1RW3R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, accused of evading 14.7 million euros (13.2 million pounds) in taxes, testified at the Pozuelo de Alarcon court on Monday (July 31).
The 32-year-old Portuguese, who has denied all the allegations through his agents, was in court for around 90 minutes and declined to speak to the assembled media afterwards.
Inaki Torres, head of communication at Gestifute, the agency which represents Ronaldo, told Spanish media "everything is in order".
If found guilty of hiding earnings from his image rights between 2011 and 2014, Ronaldo would face a large fine and a possible custodial sentence.
Spanish courts have recently cracked down on tax evasion among leading footballers.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi was handed a 21-month prison sentence this year on similar charges, although he is unlikely to serve any time in jail because Spanish law states that a sentence of under two years can be served as probation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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