Jakarta Globe – AFP, September 5, 2013
Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi. (AFP Photo / Lluis Gene) |
Madrid.
Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his father have repaid five million euros ($6.6
million) owed to the taxman before facing court on tax evasion charges,
according to a judge’s ruling obtained Thursday.
The tax
fraud charges filed in June were a stunning blow to the prestige of Messi, long
seen as a more humble figure than most top-class footballers – in particular
his fierce Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
The ruling
by a judge in Gava, a Mediterranean coastal town near Barcelona, said the
Argentine player’s father Jorge Messi had deposited 5.02 million euros with the
court on August 14 to cover more than four million euros in unpaid taxes, plus
interest.
The judge
rejected a prosecutors’ request for the 26-year-old Argentina international to
be obliged to deposit a financial bond so as to ensure he pays any fine on the
tax charges.
A bond was
unnecessary “given the worldwide renown of professional footballer Mr. Lionel
Andres Messi Cuccittini and his resulting solvency,” the judge said, also
citing the fact that the taxes had been repaid.
The judge
said he was consulting with the prosecution before making a ruling on a
separate request by Messi’s lawyers for the planned Sept. 17 hearing to be
postponed.
Prosecutors
have charged the four-time World Player of the Year and his father with
defrauding the tax office of income related to the use of his image from
2006-2009.
Messi and
his father are accused of trying to deceive the state by ceding the player’s
image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay so
they would pay no tax in Spain.
Prosecutor
allege they drew up deals related to Messi’s image rights in Britain and
Switzerland, ensuring that the income went straight to the tax havens without
passing through Spain.
Messi’s
lawyers office, Juarez Veciana, has said the player “scrupulously complies with
Spanish legislation” and will pay any amount he is found to owe.
Messi’s
achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in
the world. The Argentine is ranked 10th amongst Forbes’ list of sports stars’
incomes with an annual $21m from endorsements alone.
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