Argentina star Lionel Messi, one of the world's highest-paid athletes, goes on trial in Barcelona on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding Spain of over four million euros in unpaid taxes.
After winning a league and Cup double with Barcelona, the five-time World Player of the Year and his father will confront in court the accusations that have dogged him since June 2013.
The trial will run until June 2 -- the day when Messi is due to testify along with his father.
The court appearance comes just days before he joins his Argentina teammates for the Copa America in the United States.
Argentina take on defending champions Chile in their first game of the tournament in California on June 6.
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 (around RM19 million) of Messi's income earned through the sale of his image rights from 2007-2009.
They have been charged with three counts of tax fraud.
Spanish prosecutors are seeking a jail sentence of 22-and-a-half months for Messi and his father if they are found guilty, plus fines equivalent to the amount that was allegedly defrauded.
But any such sentence would likely be suspended as it is common in Spain for first offences carrying a sentence of less than two years.
Under Spanish law, a defendant is not obliged to attend the full trial if prosecutors seek a jail sentence of less than two years, which means Messi may only show up on June 2 for his testimony.
The football star and his defence team have argued that the player's father handled his finances without reporting to him, and that the striker was not aware of any wrongdoing.
"My dad handled the cash," Messi said in September 2013 when he was questioned by a judge investigating the case at a court in Gavia, a town on the outskirts of Barcelona where the footballer lives.
The player's father agreed.
"He has nothing to do (with these issues), he only plays football," Jorge Horacio Messi said.
Named in 'Panama Papers'
State prosecutors initially asked that the case against Messi be dropped, arguing the player only followed the instructions of his father who he "trusted fully and blindly".
But the judge in charge of the case in October 2015 rejected the request, arguing in his ruling that "there are rational signs that the criminality was committed by both accused parties".
The income related to Messi's image rights that was allegedly hidden includes endorsement deals with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company.
Questions over the player's finances increased after Messi and his father were among those named in April in reports by international media who received a vast trove of data and documents leaked from a law firm based in Panama.
The two men opened a company in Panama in June 2013, just after the allegations of tax fraud broke, to continue to hide income earned from image rights from Spanish tax authorities, Spanish news site El Espanol reported.
The Messi family acknowledged the existence of the company but they said it was "totally inactive" and never had any funds.
The scandal appears not to have dented the popularity of the footballer whom Forbes magazine says was the world's fourth highest paid athlete last year with earnings of US$74 million (around RM302 million).
Both Barcelona and the Argentine Football Association have supported the player, who is loudly cheered whenever he appears on the pitch at the Spanish club's Camp Nou stadium.
Barcelona managers have even insinuated that there is a conspiracy to tar the image of their star player, who has been key to the club's success on the pitch in recent years.
AFP
Sun May 29 2016
Messi is due to testify along with his father on June 2. - AP Photo
AWANI Ringkas: Kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini | Skandal LCS
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, kenapa tak umum tahun lepas? - MP Kampar
Chong Zhemin, tindakan tersebut seolah-olah satu penghinaan paling besar kepada Parlimen yang telah meluluskan pindaan Perlembagaan Persekutuan berkait Akta Antilompat Parti.
Masuk Pas untuk sama-sama susah dengan rakyat - ADUN Rembia
Muhamad Jailani berkata, sebelum ini beliau pernah menghantar surat kepada Lembaga Disiplin UMNO memohon untuk memecat keahliannya daripada parti Melayu itu.
[TERKINI] Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi Olimpik Paris 2024
Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi bagi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 bermula hujung bulan ini.
[TERKINI] Speaker DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi Muhammad Jailani
DUN Melaka masih menunggu surat rasmi daripada Pas berhubung tindakan ADUN Rembia, Datuk Muhamad Jailani Khamis yang menyertai Pas.
Sasar sumbang RM500 bilion kepada kdnk tempoh tiga tahun
Selangor perlu merancakkan semula kapasiti pembuatan untuk tidak hanya memenuhi keperluan tempatan, tetapi menjadikan negeri itu sebagai asas kepada pelan peluasan ke rantau Asia Tenggara dan Asia.
Wanita dihempap kayu balak mula sedarkan diri
Wanita yang nyaris maut akibat dihempap kayu balak dalam kejadian di lampu isyarat di Persimpangan Bendahara, Jalan Gua Musang-Kuala Krai di sini 9 Julai lepas, kini dilaporkan mula sedarkan diri.
Sah suspek anggota polis
Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan mengesahkan suspek bunuh Nur Farah Kartini, ialah anggota polis.
Suspek juga yang dipercayai teman lelaki mangsa dan bertugas di Perak.
Suspek juga yang dipercayai teman lelaki mangsa dan bertugas di Perak.
Suspek dibawa ke lokasi kejadian di ladang kelapa sawit
Suspek kes pembunuhan bekas penuntut UPSI Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah dibawa ke lokasi kejadian di ladang kelapa sawit di Kampung Sri Keledang, Hulu Bernam, Selangor.
Ringgit susut berbanding dolar US pada penutup
Pada 6 petang, ringgit susut lagi kepada 4.6745/6790 berbanding dolar AS daripada 4.6725/6745 semasa ditutup semalam.
Messi harap cepat pulih daripada kecederaan
Kapten Argentina, Lionel Messi berharap agar beliau cepat pulih daripada kecederaan buku lali yang dialaminya perlawanan akhir Copa America.
Messi harap Di Maria ledak gol sebelum bersara
Lionel Messi berharap Angel Di Maria menamatkan karier antarabangsanya dengan menjaringkan gol dalam perlawanan akhir Copa America menentang Colombia pada Isnin.
Gerrard ajak Lionel Messi sertai Cristiano Ronaldo ke Arab Saudi
Gerrard berkata 'mimpi jadi kenyataan' bagi Lionel Messi untuk mengikuti jejak langkah Cristiano Ronaldo ke Liga Pro Saudi.
Copa America: Argentina rehatkan Lionel Messi jumpa Peru
LIONEL Messi akan direhatkan sempena pertemuan Argentina dengan Peru dalam Copa America, pagi esok, sementara hukuman penggantungan menafikan kelibat ketua jurulatih, Lionel Scaloni, di tepi padang.
Copa America: Lionel Messi bersederhana sambut hari jadi ke-37
Lionel Scaloni bersimpati dengan Lionel Messi selepas dia akan menghabiskan satu lagi hari kelahirannya jauh dari kampung halaman.
Messi tidak pasti mengenai penyertaan Piala Dunia 2026
Lionel Messi telah menimbulkan keraguan mengenai peluangnya untuk bermain di kejohanan utama ke-13 untuk Argentina pada Piala Dunia 2026.
Cristiano Ronaldo: 14 kasut emas di usia 39 tahun
Ronaldo sudah memenangi 14 gelaran penjaring terbanyak dalam enam kejohanan berbeza sepanjang kariernya sebagai pemain bola sepak profesional.
Lionel Messi cipta sejarah baru MLS dengan lima bantuan gol
Lionel Messi menjadi pemain pertama dalam sejarah Liga Bolasepak Utama (MLS) yang mencatat lima bantuan gol dalam satu perlawanan.
MLS: Lionel Messi tidak ambil masa lama untuk kembali meledak
Lionel Messi kembali menjaringkan gol dalam kepulangannya selepas mengalami kecederaan buat pasukannya Inter Miami.
Saya telah menang semuanya - Messi
Messi sudah berjaya menjulang pelbagai trofi sepanjang kariernya dan mengakui sudah rasa cukup dengan pencapaian yang diraihnya itu.