Lionel Messi, the Barcelona striker who is commonly regarded as the best soccer player in the world, is being investigated, alongside his father, by Spanish officials for allegedly defrauding the country of around $5.5million.
The Argentinian star is suspected of filing incorrect tax forms between 2007 and 2009, in cooperation with his father, Jorge Horacio.
Messi has since strenuously denied the accusation, and insisted that he only learnt of the offence via the media.
Messi responded to the allegations via his Facebook page , writing, “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.”
Barcelona FC have not commented on the allegations, which came to light on Wednesday when Raquel Amado filed a complaint at the courthouse in Gava, the area of Barcelona where Messi lives.
If the judges at the courthouse accept that the complaint has merit, Messi and his father will be charged of the three crimes. They have been accused of using companies in Belize and Uruguay to sell the rights to use image, which, alongside the help of firms based outside of Spain, helped him to avoid over $5.5million in tax.
If Messi is found guilty he would face a large fine as well as up to six years in jail. It is believed that this investigation comes as Spanish authorities clamp down on tax fraud in light of the country’s terrible economic state.
Messi scored a record 91 goals for both Barcelona and Argentina during 2012, which lead to him claiming the World Player of the Year award for the fourth year in a row. He has also guided the Catalan giants to the Champions League on three occasions, overcoming a serious health issue in his youth to reach such dizzying heights.
