body-container-line-1

Cristiano Ronaldo Pleads Guilty Over Tax Fraud And Fined £17m

By skysports
Football News Cristiano Ronaldo Pleads Guilty Over Tax Fraud And Fined 17m
JAN 22, 2019 LISTEN

Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted a £17m fine and a suspended 23-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to tax fraud in Spain.

Ronaldo had previously agreed the deal with Spanish state prosecutors and tax authorities but still had to appear in court to sign off the agreemeent.

Spanish law allows for some sentences under two years to be spent on probation, meaning Ronaldo will not serve any jail time unless he commits a further offence.

His appearance lasted a matter of minutes but brought a huge media presence to court in Madrid, with judges refusing his request to appear by video or to enter court via a back entrance.

Ronaldo had been accused of defrauding authorities of £12.9m in unpaid taxes between 2011 and 2014, during his time with Real Madrid.

It was claimed Ronaldo, who now plays for Juventus, did not declare income of around £25m from image rights.

The prosecutor also alleged that the forward falsely reported income as coming from real estate, which it said had greatly reduced his tax rate.

Ronaldo's former Real team-mate Xabi Alonso was also in court on Tuesday, accused of defrauding tax authorities of just under £2m between 2010 and 2012.

Alonso has denied any wrongdoing and told journalists "Yes, all good" as he arrived in Madrid.

body-container-line