Tax Fraud: I Knew Nothing About My Finances – Messi Tells Court
Barcelona’s football star Lionel Messi (R) followed by his father Jorge Horacio Messi[/caption]
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has denied tax fraud charges levied against him, saying that he had no involvement in the management of his financial affairs.
The 28-year-old Argentine forward testified in court on Thursday as he, alongside his father, Jorge Messi are standing trial for alleged tax fraud in Spain.
Speaking for less than 15 minutes, Messi said he signed documents without reading them because he trusted his father and the advisers responsible for managing his finances.
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“I was playing football, I knew nothing,” the five-time World Player of the Year Messi told the court.
“I was playing football. I had no idea about anything. I trusted my dad and my lawyers.
“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’s lawyers had argued that the player had “never devoted a minute of his life to reading, studying or analysing” the contracts.
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Messi and his father Jorge, who manages his finances, are accused of avoiding paying taxes in Spain of about $4.6m of Messi’s income earned through the sale of his image rights from 2007-09.
The authorities allege that the two used tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings.
Spain’s tax agency is demanding heavy fines and prison sentences. However, a verdict is not expected until next week.
Messi, who is one of the richest athletes in the world, will travel to the United States after the trial on Thursday to join his Argentine teammates for the 2016 Copa America tournament, which starts on Friday.
