Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has been sentenced to one-year in
prison relating to a £1.1m tax fraud, however the footballer is set to
avoid spending any time behind bars.
The Argentina international was handed a custodial sentence at a court
appearance on Thursday, at which he was pleading to avoid any jail time.
During the brief appearance in court, he was given the custodial
sentence and agreed to pay an 800,000 euro fine and cover the legal
costs.
More after the cut...................................
However, because sentences shorter than two years are not usually
enforced in Spain, Mascherano looks set to avoid any jail time. He had
already paid back the unpaid tax plus almost 200,000 euros in interest.
The 31-year-old had previously admitted two counts of fraud. It's
alleged that he attempted to conceal earnings from his image rights in
2011 and 2012, his first two full years as a Barcelona player, using
companies he owns abroad.
Mascherano has since released a statement explaining what happened.
"After agreeing to come to Barcelona, I hired a prestigious Spanish tax
firm, with renowned professionals and an excellent reputation. In
agreement with my situation, they recommended certain structures to me,
all within the legal framework, always notifying me that the procedures
were common, transparent and in accordance with the law.
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