Lionel Messi and his family, are reportedly set to sue Spanish newspaper El Confidencial for defamation after the Barcelona talisman was linked to tax evasion projects in Panama, by the ‘Panama Papers’ leak. Messi has been accused of setting up a tax fraud network in Panama.
Messi, who is due in court with his father, Jorge, over tax evasion charges, has been accused of “establishing a tax fraud network” through Panamanian corporation Mega Star Enterprises to ensure he doesn’t have to pay tax on image rights deals.
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The Madrid-based El Confidencial produced documents that show signatures of both Messi and his father, indicating that they acquired the dormant Mega Star Enterprises, through the medium of a Uruguayan buffer company. It is for these revelations that the Argentine international’s family plan to sue the newspaper.
This news comes right after Lionel Messi and his father were indicted by Spanish authorities for a separate case, one in which the two of them stand trial for tax evasion worth an alleged €4million during the time period between 2007 to 2009. The trial is scheduled to happen on the 31st of May, and could potentially affect Messi’s preparation for the Copa America, which will start on June 3.
Messi’s family expected to make official statement
The Barcelona man and his father are scheduled to make an official statement about the situation. Based on the documents leaked, Messi and his father have owned Mega Star Enterprises since at least 2013, and that fact is not mentioned it in the duo’s indictment by the Spanish Government in 2014 and 2015.
The records also indicate that Messi signed at least one document to show his ownership, but that sole ownership was taken over by his father, Jorge, in 2015, with the company still active.
All the records that were released came from a leak of over two terabytes of information from Mossack Fonseca, a company in Panama that deals in offshore businesses. El Confidencial have confirmed that they have information that the Messi family will be suing them, with an official statement from the Argentine confirming the same expected soon.
The Argentinian international recently finished playing in the El Clasico, a match that saw Barcelona go down 1-2 to Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, after Barcelona had taken the lead through Gerard Pique.
