An Spanish judge approved on Tuesday the trial of Colombian pop singer Shakira on charges of tax fraud.

Spanish prosecutors accused the artist in 2018 of failing to pay 14.5 million euros (19.1 million Canadian dollars) in income taxes earned between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors are seeking an eight-year prison sentence and a large fine if she is proven guilty of tax evasion.
 

Shakira has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and refused a deal with authorities to avoid going to trial. Her PR company said she has already paid everything she owes plus three million euros (3.7 million Canadian dollars) in interest.

The court based in Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona, said Shakira will face six counts of tax fraud. The trial date has not yet been set.

The case depends on where Shakira lived during the period 2012-2014. Prosecutors in Barcelona claimed that the Grammy winner spent more than half of that period in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country, despite her official residence being in the Bahamas.

Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has been linked to Spain since she began dating soccer player Gerard Piqué. The couple, who have two children, lived together in Barcelona but recently ended their 11-year relationship.

Spain has launched a campaign against football stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo over the past decade for not fully paying taxes owed. Both were convicted of evasion but avoided prison time thanks to a ruling allowing judges to waive sentences under two years for first-time offenders.

Editing: Yusra Bamtarf