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Spain’s Treasury agrees to $22.3 million deal with Ronaldo over tax fraud

Ronaldo, who will reside in Italy as a Juventus player, will not enter prison in exchange for pleading guilty to four cases of tax fraud, reports Efe.

Spain’s Treasury agrees to $22.3 million deal with Ronaldo over tax fraud

Cristiano Ronaldo. (Photo: AFP)

Spain’s tax agency on Thursday approved an agreement reached between Cristiano Ronaldo, the Public Prosecutor and State lawyers through which the football star is to pay a fine of almost 19 million euros ($22.3) and be sentenced to two years in prison which would be suspended.

Ronaldo, who will reside in Italy as a Juventus player, will not enter prison in exchange for pleading guilty to four cases of tax fraud, reports Efe.

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The agreement reached between tax authorities and the player’s lawyers was pending the Treasury’s approval as it had been the body that brought charges against Ronaldo.

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The Portugal star was charged on four counts of tax fraud between 2011-2014 amounting to 14.8 million euros ($17.3 million).

The amounts allegedly defrauded were 1.39 million euros ($1.62 million) in 2011, 1.66m euros ($1.93 million) in 2012, 3.2m euros ($3.72 million) in 2013 and 8.5m euros ($9.90 million) in 2014.

The final agreement reduces the amount defrauded to 5.7 million euros ($6.6 million), to which fines and interest must be added, totalling almost 19 million euros ($22 million).

Sources consulted by Efe said that Ronaldo would also carry the legal costs of the cases.

Spain’s Treasury and Prosecutor still consider that Ronaldo should be handed down a prison sentence because, even if he does not have to serve time, he would have a criminal record which would act as a deterrent toward re-offending at that time.

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