Lionel Messi and his father sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax evasion

Lionel Messi, the five time FIFA World Player Of The Year has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after a court in Spain found him guilty on three counts of tax fraud. While fixing the quantum of the penalty, it said that the sentence could be appealed to the Spanish Supreme Court.

It also asked the footballer to pay a fine of 2 million Euro. It also sentenced the player’s father, Jorge, was also convicted of the same three crimes. He has also been asked to pay 1.5 million Euros.

It was a steep fall from grace for the Argentinean and Barcelona star and his father when charges were framed against them for tax fraud in Spanish Court.

The judge rejected the plea by the prosecution to annul the charges framed against the star footballer. The duo has been accused of swindling Spain by more than €4m (£3.1m; $5m).

They have pleaded not guilty. Lawyers representing the tax authorities have demanded a 22-month jail sentence for both. They argued that Jorge deliberately avoided paying taxes on his son’s earning by using offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay to funnel off funds.

Lawyers representing Messi contended that their client never read or studied the contracts. However, they failed to impress the judge who wrote that there is a clear proof of the duo committing criminality.

Earlier a court in June had ruled that the Argentinean player will not be given immunity because he did not know what was happening to his finances.

The footballer’s finances were managed by his father, and the income was related to image rights and contracts with numerous sports equipment manufacturers and makers of health drinks.

The father-son had made voluntary $5 million “corrective payment” – equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest – in August 2013.

The footballer may not go to jail because of Spanish law which held that sentences under two years could be served under probation.