Barcelona star Lionel Messi on Tuesday said he was unconcerned about accusations of tax avoidance on income generated from the sale of his image rights and was confident his lawyers will solve the case.
Last month the 25-year-old and his father Jorge Horacio were ordered by a Spanish court to appear for questioning in September as part of an investigation into alleged tax fraud.
"I'm not worried, I'm always on the sidelines of all of that, just like my dad. We have our lawyers and our advisors who handle these things. We trust in them and they will solve the issue," he said.
"I don't understand anything about all of that, this is why we have people who handle these issues," he added at a news conference at the club's training ground.
Spanish financial crimes prosecutors filed papers with a court on June 12 accusing Messi and his father of defrauding the tax office of over four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million) in income related to the use of his image from 2006-2009.
Messi and his father aimed to deceive the state by ceding the player's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay so they would pay no tax in Spain, according to the prosecutor's complaint filed at a court in Gava, a Mediterranean coastal town near Barcelona.
The prosecutor's complaint also alleged the four-time World Player of the Year and his father drew up deals related to his image rights in Britain and Switzerland, ensuring that the income went straight to the tax havens without any tax being paid.
The accusations of tax fraud are a huge blow to the prestige of Messi, who has long been seen as a more humble figure than most top-class footballers -- in particular his fierce Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi's lawyers office, Juarez Veciana, have said the player "scrupulously complies with Spanish legislation" and will "pay any amount that he is eventually found to owe".
AFP
Wed Jul 17 2013
AWANI Pagi: Keselamatan kebakaran dalam pemasangan panel solar atas bumbung
[LANGSUNG] Fokus #AWANIpagi 17 Julai 2024 8.30 pagi,
Diskusi 8.30 pagi Rabu bersama PgB Muhamad Zahin Ishak, Pegawai Cawangan Perakuan Keselamatan Kebakaran, Bahagian Keselamatan Kebakaran, Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia membincangkan antaranya langkah-langkah keselamatan utama yang perlu diambil semasa pemasangan panel solar atas bumbung untuk mengurangkan risiko kebakaran.
Diskusi 8.30 pagi Rabu bersama PgB Muhamad Zahin Ishak, Pegawai Cawangan Perakuan Keselamatan Kebakaran, Bahagian Keselamatan Kebakaran, Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia membincangkan antaranya langkah-langkah keselamatan utama yang perlu diambil semasa pemasangan panel solar atas bumbung untuk mengurangkan risiko kebakaran.
Guna AI, sunting gambar rakan wanita jadi bogel
Media tempatan melaporkan, sekitar 20 wanita telah diubah gambar mereka kepada foto bogel.
Bekalan elektrik terputus, 165,000 penduduk Toronto terjejas banjir
Banjir juga menyebabkan beberapa kenderaan di bandar itu terkandas di jalan yang ditenggelami air berhampiran Jambatan Dundas.
Dua warga AS antara yang ditemui maut di hotel Thailand
Menurut polis Thailand, kesemua mangsa adalah berketurunan Vietnam, dengan dua daripadanya membawa pasport AS.
AWANI Pagi: Berita tumpuan & menarik di astroawani.com [17 Julai 2024]
[LANGSUNG] Fokus #AWANIpagi 17 Julai 2024 7.30 pagi,
Antara fokus Awani Pagi bersama Nursyazwani Saiful Sham & Azib Zikry
1. Keluarga Nur Farah Kartini mohon henti keluar kenyataan guris hati
2. Kim Pan-gon akui akan rindui sokongan rakyat Malaysia
3. Astro penyiar rasmi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024
Antara fokus Awani Pagi bersama Nursyazwani Saiful Sham & Azib Zikry
1. Keluarga Nur Farah Kartini mohon henti keluar kenyataan guris hati
2. Kim Pan-gon akui akan rindui sokongan rakyat Malaysia
3. Astro penyiar rasmi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024
Langkah menoktahkan kemiskinan tegar di Sabah antara tumpuan Dewan Rakyat
Ahli Parlimen Kinabatangan, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin meminta Menteri Ekonomi menyatakan langkah tersebut pada sesi jawab lisan.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta pastikan kemampanan sektor air
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air.
[INFOGRAFIK] Tarikh-tarikh penting Istiadat Pertabalan Yang Di-Pertuan Agong ke-17
Berikut adalah info berkenaan dengan tarikh-tarikh penting Istiadat Pertabalan Yang Di-Pertuan Agong ke-17
Menendez didapati bersalah ke atas 16 pertuduhan rasuah
Juri di Mahkamah Persekutuan Manhattan membacakan keputusannya pada Selasa selepas berbincang selama lebih 12 jam selama tiga hari.
Tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram - CAP
CAP menggesa Lembaga Racun Makhluk Perosak segera mengambil tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram di negara ini dan menguatkuasakan dengan tegas Akta Racun Perosak 1974.
Cuai, langgar kontrak: 1MDB, kerajaan saman rakan kongsi KPMG US$5.6 bilion
Kesemua plaintif menamakan rakan kongsi KPMG yang dilantik sebagai juruaudit 1MDB antara 15 Sept 2010 dan 10 Jan 2014, sebagai defendan pertama hingga ke-44.
Najib, Jho Low antara yang disaman 1MDB, SRC untuk tuntutan kembali aset bernilai RM96.6 bilion
Dalam satu kenyataan hari ini, MOF berkata, enam writ saman difailkan oleh 1MDB, manakala 16 lagi oleh SRC International.
Pengarah syarikat didenda RM30,000 miliki kotak media iBoite-X secara haram
Tertuduh mengaku bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen Shah Alam atas enam kesalahan memiliki enam unit kotak media berjenama iBoite-X.