Messi Denies Tax Fraud Allegation

Lionel Messi has denied allegations that he and his father committed tax fraud in Spain and claimed that he only heard the news in the media.

The World Player of the Year is being investigated for allegedly defrauding the state of more than €4m ($5.3m) in a tax returns for 2007-09.

His father Jorge Horacio is also accused alongside Messi of three crimes of defrauding the state of taxes related to income from the use of his image.

They are suspected of using companies in Belize and Uruguay to sell the rights to use the image.

The allegation states that by using the firms outside of Spain where Messi lives and plays football, viagra coupon the pair have avoided more than €4m ($5.3m) in tax.

Messi wrote on his Facebook page: “We have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advices of our tax consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation.”

On Wednesday a complaint was signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado and filed at the courthouse in Gava.

Judges must now accept the complaint before the two can be charged.

Messi, who earns €16m ($21.4m) a year, could face up to six years in prison if convicted.

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