Lionel Messi's lawyers mount defence as tax case starts in BarcelonaBy Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 02/06/16 12:42am
Lionel Messi's lawyers have tried to show the Argentinian footballer was not familiar with the tax issues that led to fraud charges against him at his trial in Barcelona.Witnesses called to give evidence on the second day of his trial said the Barcelona forward had little knowledge of the corporate structures that authorities say were created to lower the player's tax burden in Spain.
They said that, although Messi signed documents, it was his father who was actually responsible for the player's businesses off the field.
Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, have been charged with three counts of tax fraud and could be sentenced to nearly two years in prison if found guilty of defrauding Spain's tax office of £3.1m.
The trial started on Tuesday with Messi and his father Jorge Horacio Messi, who have both denied the allegations, not obliged to attend the court every day, but they will have to testify on Thursday."The intention of Mr. Lionel was to attend the plenary hearing, but he has suffered an injury," said Messi's lawyer, Javier Sanchez-Vera, who presented a medical report.
The Barcelona forward hurt his back during Argentina's international friendly against Honduras last Friday and when asked by the judge whether Messi would attend Thursday's hearing, the lawyer said he would.
The court appearance comes just days before he joins his Argentina team-mates for the Copa America in the United States.
Messi and his father are accused of using a chain of fake companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on £3.2m of Messi's income earned through the sale of his image rights from 2007 to 2009.
The two have already paid £3.8m to the tax authorities as a "corrective" measure after they were formally charged in June 2013.
They are 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 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 is only likely to attend on Thursday 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 Gava, 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.
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.
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10299393/lionel-messi-tax-case-due-to-start-this-week-in-barcelona
