Spanish judge recommends Shakira face tax fraud trial

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A Spanish judge investigating alleged tax fraud by Colombian musician Shakira has recommended that the case go to trial after concluding there is evidence that the pop star could have avoided her fiscal obligations to the state. The decision can be appealed. The three-year probe found sufficient the evidence presented by prosecutors that Shakira avoided paying 14.5 million euros ($16.4 million) in taxes in Spain between 2012 and 2014. Shakira denied any wrongdoing when she testified in June 2019. Her public relations firm said that she had immediately paid what she owed once she was informed of the debt by the Tax Office.