Lionel Messi handed 21-month tax fraud sentence but is unlikely to serve time
Source: The Guardian
Lionel Messi and his father Jorge have been sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud, but the Barcelona forward is not expected to spend any time behind bars.
The court of Catalonia on Wednesday found that the Messis had evaded tax on Lionel’s image rights, with more than €4m owed in back payments. But because the court’s sentence was less than two years and neither Messi has a criminal record, neither will be sent to prison.
Prosecutors had alleged that tax havens in Belize and Uruguay were used to conceal earnings from image rights. But Messi said he “knew nothing” about his financial affairs, while his father said he was told by a legal adviser that the practice was legal.
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The conviction is unlikely to hinder Messi’s football career, however, with the 29-year-old now free to attend Barcelona’s first day of pre-season training next week.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jul/06/lionel-messi-barcelona-prison-21-months-tax-fraud
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