On the same day that Cristiano Ronaldo was out scoring a last-gasp brace against Egypt, his tax fraud case took a turn for the worse. Experts who were called upon by the Portugal captain’s own lawyers ended up testifying against the 33-year-old.
The experts, three professionals from the National Office of International Tax, were expected to side with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Instead, they ended up agreeing with the tax authorities in the four-hour questioning session that the player defrauded the Spanish government of roughly $18.2m over the span of four years
The experts went a step further by claiming the argument by Cristiano’s lawyers – that his income from image rights was income from movable assets, not work-related income – is “the most absurd” legal claim. Unfortunately, this likely means his battle in court will drag on.
This latest unfolding, reported by Cadena Ser (as per AS), means Ronaldo’s defense has failed in their attempts to prevent this trial from proceeding to the next stage. This will leave the Real Madrid star with only one option: negotiating a settlement.
If the five-time Ballon d’Or winner refuses that option, he could end up in an oral hearing, as stated by the Spanish radio station. If that happens, the former Man United winger could be slapped with a ten-year jail sentence for four tax fraud offenses.
The attacker is nowhere near Pozuela de Alarcón, where the case is being heard. Cristiano is instead with his national side during the ongoing international break and is gearing up for a friendly clash with the Netherlands.
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