Cristiano Ronaldo facing £13m tax fraud charge

Spain’s prosecutor’s office in Madrid said on Tuesday it had filed a lawsuit against soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo for allegedly defrauding Spanish authorities of 14.7 million euros between 2011 and 2014.

In a statement, the prosecutor’s office said Ronaldo had knowingly used a “business structure” created in 2010 to hide his income in Spain from his image rights.

The lawsuit is based on a report sent to the prosecutor’s office from Spain’s tax agency.

The Portuguese star became a Spanish tax resident in January 2010 and in November 2011, and opted to follow the Spanish tax regime that applies to foreigners working in Spain.

Prosecutors said they have until the end of June to decide whether to charge the Real Madrid star, and if he was subsequently found guilty by a court, he would face a prison sentence of at least 15 months, UK’s Telegraph reports.

Justice experts however maintain that is unlikely Ronaldo would go to jail as a first-time offender.