‘I Knew Nothing’ – Messi Denies Tax Fraud Charges

Five time Ballon D’or winner, Lionel Messi took the stand today in a tax fraud case brought against him by Spanish authorities.

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The Argentine striker and his father Jorge are accused of using shell companies to avoid paying taxes on income right and said that the taxes avoided comes to about £3.2m. Messi took the stand today and once again denied any knowledge of the shell companies.

He told the judge, “I was playing football, I knew nothing,” as prosecutors are pushing for a prison sentence as well as very strict fines.

Although he has admitted to signing the documents, he claims he trusted the judgment of his father as well as his advisers and never knew the details.

The case is expected to wrap up this week and a verdict will be available by next week.