A
Spanish
judge
investigating
alleged
tax
fraud
by
Colombian
musician
Shakira
recommended
on
Thursday
that
the
case
to
go
to
trial
after
concluding
there
is
evidence
that
the
pop
star
could
have
avoided
her
fiscal
obligations
to
the
state.
Judge
Marco
Juberías
wrote
that
his
three-year
probe
found
there
existed
“sufficient
evidence
of
criminality”
for
the
case
to
go
to
a
trial
judge.
The
decision
can
be
appealed.
Prosecutors
charged
the
singer
in
December
2019
with
not
paying
14.5
million
euros
(USD
16.4
million)
in
taxes
in
Spain
between
2012
and
2014,
when
she
lived
mostly
in
the
country
despite
having
an
official
residence
in
Panama.
Shakira,
44,
denied
any
wrongdoing
when
she
testified
in
June
2019.
Her
public
relations
firm
said
that
she
had
immediately
paid
what
she
owed
once
she
was
informed
of
the
debt
by
the
Tax
Office.
Shakira
faces
a
possible
fine
and
even
possible
jail
time
if
found
guilty
of
tax
evasion.
However,
a
judge
can
waive
prison
time
for
first-time
offenders
if
they
are
sentenced
to
less
than
two
years
behind
bars.