MESSI HANDED 21 MONTHS JAIL TERM FOR TAX FRAUD.

Argentina and Barcelona football star Lionel Messi has been
sentenced to 21 months in jail for alleged tax evasion. His father
Jorge Messi, was also handed similar sentence of a jail term for
defrauding the Spanish government of €4.1 million.
They also face millions in fines for using secret tax havens in
other countries for tax evasion. However , the both will probably not
serve any sentence, because in Spain, jail sentences under two years
can be served under probation instead. So neither man is expected to
spend any time in jail.
The footballer and his father were slapped with a three count
charge bordering on tax evasion and concealing their income. Messi and
his father were fined a total of €3.5 million.
The player's club Barcelona, have expressed their support for
their star player, insisting on his innocence.
"FC Barcelona expresses its full support to Leo
Messi and his father in relation to the conviction
for tax fraud...
"The club... considers that the player, who has
corrected his position with the Spanish tax office,
is in no way criminally responsible with regards to the facts
underlined in this case."
bbc.com
The trial for the case began in april, and Messi a five time world
player of the year said he did not know anything. He said he only
signed papers without reading them because he trusted his father to
manage his finances properly.
"I was managing football, I knew nothing" he said in a statement that
lasted less than 15 minutes. The footie star said he was "more worried
about playing football". And never saw or suspected any wrongdoings
while signing documents.
The trials began on 30th of April, and investigations have also
been made regarding his endorsements and image rights with addidas,
Procter and Gamble, Danone, Banco Sabadell and others. There was
evidence that a tax evation scheme involving banks in Uruguay had been
deployed to cheat the Spanish government. Following the ruling of a
High Court in July that the player should not be granted any immunity,
his lawyers have claimed that the player devoted no time at all to
reading the documents.
Lionel Messi just retired from the Argentine national team after
Copa America final loss to Chile. He has been the world best player on
five occasions.