Spain court orders Shakira to stand trial for tax fraud

BARCELONA: A Spanish court has ordered Colombian music superstar Shakira to stand trial on charges of tax fraud to the tune of 14 million euros, with prosecutors seeking an eight-year sentence, filings showed on Tuesday.

Prosecutors in Barcelona said in July they would seek to have the singer jailed for more than eight years alongside a fine of nearly 24 million euros ($24 million), after she rejected a plea deal over accusations of tax evasion. They accuse the 45-year-old "Hips don’t Lie" songstress of defrauding the Spanish tax office of 14.5 million euros ($14.7 million) on income earned between 2012 and 2014.