Spanish Court fines Shakira 7.3 Million Euros in Tax Fraud Case

Colombian superstar singer Shakira is set to pay a fine of over 7.3 million euros ($7.98 million) as part of a deal with Spanish prosecutors to avoid trial for tax fraud.

Under the deal, Shakira also agreed to receive a three-year suspended sentence, as part of a plea to skip a court trial.

Prosecutors had accused the superstar of defrauding the Spanish state of 14.5 million euros ($15.7 million) on income earned between 2012 and 2014, charges Shakira had denied, saying she only moved to Spain full-time in 2015.

After the agreement was reached, Shakira issued a statement, saying she said agreed to settle for the sake of her two sons, Milan and Sasha.

“I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love – my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career, including my upcoming world tour and my new album,” she said in the statement issued by her lawyers.

“I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career.”