Cristiano Ronaldo is under the microscope after revelations that he had diverted huge sums of sponsorship money through companies in tax havens
He could face a minimum of six years in jail, the secretary general of the union at Spain’s tax authority (GESTHA) has claimed.
Jose Maria Mollinedo of GESTHA was speaking to Spanish radio station RAC1 when he revealed the sheer scale of the trouble Ronaldo could find himself in.
Newspaper El Mundo reported this week that the Real Madrid star has directed at least €150million in income through tax havens, including the British Virgin Islands, since 2009.
Ronaldo’s agency, Gestifute, issued a strong denial and published documents that they believe prove Ronaldo is innocent.
But Mollinedo, one of the tax workers’ union’s most senior figures, suggested Ronaldo may well be facing a prison sentence.
“The information about Cristiano Ronaldo makes it look like he could have defrauded more than €150million,” he said.
“We’d be looking at a major fiscal crime. This would fit a minimum prison sentence for each tax year of the fraud. If the open inspection is for three years, [then it would be] a minimum of six years in prison.
“If, before two months have passed from the opening of the investigation, they legally recognise the facts and pay back the defrauded amount, the punishment can be reduced.”
Carlos Cruzado, GESTHA’s president, told Cadena Ser that he expects Ronaldo to go to trial over the charges.
“That is what you would expect,” Cruzado said. From Mirror.
“We feel that the tax authority should pass the case to the public prosecutor, so that they take the reins on this. It is very easy to see this ending up in front of a judge, for sure. We are all part of the tax authority, although sometimes people doubt this, especially when the papers are full of stories like this.”