Lionel Messi’s tax fraud trial begins

The trial of Lionel Messi over tax fraud charges opened in Barcelona on Tuesday in his absence, with the Argentina football star accused of defrauding Spain of more than €4m.

After winning a league and Cup double with Barcelona, the five-time World Player of the Year and his father are due to confront in court the accusations that have dogged him since June 2013.

The trial will run until June 2 – the day when Messi is due to testify along with his father.

Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, are accused of using a chain of fake companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on €4.16m of Messi’s income earned through the sale of his image rights from 2007-09.

They have been 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 it 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 may only show up on June 2 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.

In comments Messi made in September 2013 statement to a judge, the footballer said he never looks at the contracts he signs, according to extracts of the statement published by Spain’s El Periodico daily Monday.

“This is something that my dad manages. And I trust him. I devote myself to playing football,” he allegedly said.”I do what he tells me to.

“I signed things, but I never look at the contracts. I don’t know what I sign.”

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