Spanish Court Clears Shakira of Tax Evasion Charges

JAKARTA - Shakira's long wait to clear her name from the clutches of the law has finally borne fruit.

The Spanish High Court has officially acquitted the Colombian singer of tax fraud charges, ordering the country's tax authorities to return more than 55 million euros or around Rp960 billion.

The ruling from the court in Madrid cancels all the large fines previously imposed on Shakira. The judge considered that the Spanish fiscal authority failed to prove that the singer lived in Spain for more than 183 days in 2011, which is the minimum legal limit for someone to be categorized as a resident taxpayer in the country.

Based on trial data, Shakira was recorded as spending only 163 days in Spain in the fiscal year, because she was busy with a world tour schedule.

In response to this legal victory, the singer of "Hips Don't Lie" released an emotional statement to. He expressed the mental burden he had carried due to the negative stigma of the public for years.

"There has never been any fraud, and the administration itself has never been able to prove otherwise, purely because it is not true," Shakira said, quoted by NME, Tuesday, May 19.

"However, for almost a decade, I have been treated like a guilty person," he continued.

The 49-year-old singer also criticized the handling of his case, which was considered to be deliberately exploited for certain interests. He also dedicated this victory to the community who often face similar situations without power.

"Every stage of this legal process is deliberately leaked, distorted, and exaggerated by using my name and public image to send a message of threat to all other taxpayers. Today, the narrative collapsed with the full force of the court's decision," he concluded.