Cristiano Ronaldo Appears In Court On Tax Fraud Charges

Cristiano Ronaldo Appears In Court On Tax Fraud Charges! He’s said to be the highest paid athlete in the world and now he’s found himself being accused of evading $17.3m in tax.

Back in June, a prosecutor said the Portugal forward had used shell companies outside Spain to hide income made from image rights. The prosecutor said Ronaldo falsely claimed the income as coming from property, which “greatly” reduced his tax rate.

The 32 year old reportedly spent an hour-and-a-half giving evidence to judges at a court in the Madrid suburb of Pozuelo de Alarcón on Monday.

Ronaldo is yet to make a statement.

He’s not alone however in having been accused of tax fraud. Ronaldo’s football nemesis Messi was handed a 21-month prison sentence after being found guilty of the same charge last year. The court later ruled he could pay €252,000 in place of jail time.