Lionel Messi In Lawsuit Battle
Lionel Messi In Lawsuit Battle
Argentina football star
Lionel Messi said he knew nothing about how his
wealth was managed as he
trusted his father with his finances while he took the stand at his tax fraud trial.
"I was playing football. I
had no idea about anything," the five-time World Player of the Year told
the Barcelona court hearing the case.
"I trusted my dad and my
lawyers," the 28-year-old, who wore a black suit and tie, added on the
third day of the trial.
Messi and his father Jorge
Horacio Messi are accused of using a chain of fake companies in Belize and
Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros ($4.6 million) of Messi's
income earned through the sale of his image rights from 2007-09.
The income related to Messi's
image rights that was allegedly hidden and includes endorsement deals with
Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and the Kuwait
Food Company.
"All I knew was
that we signed agreements with certain sponsors, for 'X' amount of money and
that I had to do adverts, photos and those things but about the money and where
it went I knew nothing," Messi told the court.
The Barcelona forward and his defense team have long argued that Messi's father handled the footballer's
finances without reporting to him, and the striker was not aware of any
wrongdoing.
Messi's former tax advisors told
the court on Wednesday the football star never handed his own wealth
management.
Both Messi and his father, who
has managed his son's affairs since he was a child, have been charged with
three counts of tax fraud.
Spanish prosecutors are seeking a
jail sentence of 22-and-a-half months for them if they are found guilty, plus
fines equivalent to the amount that was allegedly defrauded.
But any such sentence would
likely be suspended as is common in Spain for first offences carrying a
sentence of less than two years.
Messi and his father made a
voluntary payment of 5.0 million euros ($5.6 million) equal to the amount of
the alleged unpaid taxes plus interest in August 2013 after being formally
investigated, which is expected to mitigate any sentence if they are found
guilty.
Dozens of photographers and
onlookers crowded behind metal barriers and a line of police that guarded the
entrance of the court to catch a glimpse of the player for the hearing.
Some fans expressed discontent towards the player.
"If he cheated, he has to be
sentenced no matter how much of an idol and Ballon d'Or winner he is. These are
four million euros less to pay for hospitals, schools, firefighters,
roads," Jose Seco de Herrero, 25,
"Thief!," yelled out
one onlooker. "Go play in Panama," cried out another.
The tax fraud trial comes at a
time of simmering voter anger over steep government cuts to health and social
spending, as the government struggles to bring Spain's public deficit down.
"On the pitch he is the
best, but if they have to try him and sentence him they should do it, even if
he is a footballer and is known around the world," said 25-year-old Eric
Irias, who came to the court wearing a Barcelona jersey which he bought on
Wednesday.
After his court appearance in
Barcelona, Messi will jet off to the United States where Argentina take on Copa
America defending champions Chile in their first game of the three-week tournament
in California on Monday.
The trial will wrap up on Friday
with closing arguments from lawyers from both sides.
No date was set for when the
court will issue its ruling.
Lionel Messi In Lawsuit Battle
Reviewed by Dipo Sobaki
on
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