Singer Shakira charged to court over tax fraud

Talented Colombian singer, Shakira Mebarak has appeared in a Spanish court on Thursday to answer tax fraud charges.

The prosecutors accused her of failing to pay up to 14.5 million euros ($16.29 million) in taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014.

Shakira arrived at Esplugues de Llobregat court near Barcelona in the morning through the court’s car park entrance, to avoid the media and was seen briefly through a window.

Prosecutors filed charges last December for the period they said Shakira was living in the region of Catalonia but the singer’s representatives said she did not live in Spain until 2015 and had met all her tax obligations.

The 42-year-old singer and Gerard Pique, FC Barcelona defender, have been together since 2011. The union has been blessed with two children.

Shakira appeared in court in May to face accusations of plagiarism for “La Bicicleta’’, a song she played with Carlos Vives, though the lawsuit was dismissed after the court dictated they did not copy it.