Lionel Messi to stand trial for tax fraud in Spain

[JamieMCFC]

Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi and his father should stand trial on tax fraud charges, a court in Spain has ruled.

The judge in charge of the case rejected the request by prosecutors to drop the charges against the striker.

Messi and his father Jorge are accused of defrauding Spanish authorities of more than €4m (£3.1m; $5m).

Lawyers acting on behalf of the tax authorities demanded 22-month jail sentences for both defendants.

Prosecutors allege that Jorge avoided paying tax on his son's earnings by using offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay in 2007-09.

Messi's lawyers had argued that the player had "never devoted a minute of his life to reading, studying or analysing" the contracts, El Pais newspaper reported earlier.

"There are rational signs that the criminality was committed by both accused parties," wrote the judge in a court filing, according to the AFP news agency.

No date has been set for the trial of the 28-year-old footballer - the four-time World Player of the Year and one of the richest athletes in the world.

In June, the high court in Barcelona ruled that Messi should not be granted impunity for not knowing what was happening with his finances, which were being managed in part by his father.

The income related to Messi's image rights, including contracts with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter and Gamble, and the Kuwait Food Company.

Messi and his father made a voluntary €5m "corrective payment" - equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest - in August 2013.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34 ... name=sport

[Mase]

Would be good if he got put inside the cheating hgh Falklands twat!

[Blue Oli]

Would be good if he got put inside the cheating hgh Falklands twat!

Totally lost by this reference

[bigblue]

Would be good if he got put inside the cheating hgh Falklands twat!

Totally lost by this reference

human growth horomones, falklands war, vagina

[Mase]

Would be good if he got put inside the cheating hgh Falklands twat!

Totally lost by this reference

human growth horomones, falklands war, vagina

Thanks BB.

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

I'm not sure how or why a trial should be imposed, considering Messi & Co paid a settlement fee, which should have ended this BS? The Spanish government seems to be greedily demanding money, simply because Messi chose to use an image rights firm, that isn't located in Spain!

Messi is a worldwide star and not just the property of Barcelona & Spain. If his image rights were sold outside of Spain, by a company not based in Spain, then, Messi is being taxed for making an income, outside of the country he resides in.

[iwasthere2012]

^^^^^^
Get the banners up so.
Welcome to Manchester.

You know it makes sense Lionel.

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

^^^^^^
Get the banners up so.
Welcome to Manchester.

You know it makes sense Lionel.

Yes, if Spain wants to purposely chase Messi straight into City's waiting arms, we'll be happy to welcome Leo, along with his image rights and everything else!

This could also increase the Catalan demands for independence from Spain.

[Wonderwall]

^^^^^^
Get the banners up so.
Welcome to Manchester.

You know it makes sense Lionel.

Yes, if Spain wants to purposely chase Messi straight into City's waiting arms, we'll be happy to welcome Leo, along with his image rights and everything else!

This could also increase the Catalan demands for independence from Spain.

his father has already said Messi has nothing to do with his own financial affairs and wants to shoulder the blame. It's already said that the worst he will get is a suspended sentence

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

^^^^^^
Get the banners up so.
Welcome to Manchester.

You know it makes sense Lionel.

Yes, if Spain wants to purposely chase Messi straight into City's waiting arms, we'll be happy to welcome Leo, along with his image rights and everything else!

This could also increase the Catalan demands for independence from Spain.

his father has already said Messi has nothing to do with his own financial affairs and wants to shoulder the blame. It's already said that the worst he will get is a suspended sentence

If I was Messi's lawyers, I would be checking whether this judge in Spain, has any connections to Real or Atletico Madrid! How could the Spanish government be demanding further penalties, when it was their own income tax office, that set the terms of Messi's tax settlement, including an extra penalty fee?
Residents in Catalonia pay the highest rate of income tax, at 49%, causing increased demands for independence from Spain.

This will probably get settled with more penalty fees to Spain. If not, I'm sure that Manchester City will welcome the Messi family, if they choose to ever leave Barcelona!

[john@staustell]

Funny, I thought I read yesterday that father would stand trial but not Leo. But I haven't paid it too much attention

[Hutch's Shoulder]

Funny, I thought I read yesterday that father would stand trial but not Leo. But I haven't paid it too much attention

That was what the prosecution wNted but the judge rejected it.

[MilnersJaw]

He's rich and famous, he won't go to prison.

[Mase]

He's rich and famous, he won't go to prison.

Like Joey Barton and Ched Evans?

[Beefymcfc]

You can just imagine the Judge sat there, with his long flowing wig, shaking like a shitting dog knowing that if he sent Messi down for a stretch, that he'd probably be joining him soon after.

Messi should be responsible for his own affairs and if he's tried to defraud the tax man then he needs to be seen as any other person would, but could you imagine the Spanish system sending him to prison? Regardless of how he's tried to fudge it, he's a 'Crim', taking money away from those poor mites who claim it all back. You know, the ones with the Aston in the courtyard and Bentley in the swimming pool.

Send him down I say, off with his head. Nothing more that H-D & Q for me. The cheating Argie bastard!

His fault that Aguero got injured. The Cunt!

[ruralblue]

He's rich and famous, he won't go to prison.

If three and a half years was good enough for Lester Piggott then same goes.