Lionel Messi Sees 21-Month Suspended Prison Sentence Upheld After Failed Supreme Court Appeal
Barcelona superstar and five-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has seen the 21 month suspended prison sentences handed down to him and his father upheld by Spain's Supreme Court after a failed appeal to have the verdict overturned.
Last July, Messi and his father Jorge were found guilty by a Barcelona court of defrauding the Spanish treasury out of €4.1m from €10.1m in image rights earnings between 2007 and 2009.Lionel Messi and his father sentenced to 21 months in prison for fraud. This will drag on for a while. #FCB #LaLiga— Simon Harrison (@simonhfootball) May 24, 2017
They fought the sentence, but Spanish sources now state that their appeal has been dismissed by the country's highest court.
Throughout the ongoing process, Messi has maintained that he has done nothing wrong after putting his trust in others, while his father placed the blame at the feet of their tax advisers.
In 2013, Messi voluntarily paid tax arrears totalling €5m, including interest.