Lionel Messi cleared in tax investigation by Spanish authorities

Spanish authorities have cleared Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi of any wrongdoing in an on-going tax investigation, but his father Jorge Messi is still under the scanner on fraud charges.

Both Jorge and Lionel Messi had been earlier accused of cheating tax authorities in Spain, evading tax worth more than €4 million (AU $6.25 million) between 2007 and 2009, due from various payments made to Messi for image rights, and which were instead channelled into off-shore tax-havens in the United Kingdom, Belize, Uruguay and Switzerland.

In June, A Spanish court ruled that Messi could be held responsible for the evasions as well, despite him claiming that all his tax affairs were being looked after by his father and that he had no clue of the evasions. Both father and son were initially look at a fine of more than €21 million (AU $33 million), along with a suspended prison sentence of up to one year, but now prosecutors have cleared Messi and will pursue their case solely against Jorge Messi.

"It has not been proven that (Lionel Messi's) lack of knowledge was deliberate or was done with the aim of defrauding the Treasury," prosecutors said in a statement, via ESPN.

Jorge and Lionel Messi have already made a payment of €5 million (AU $8 million) as penalty after they were initially charged for wrongdoing regards taxes back in 2013, but that may not be enough, with a further penalty of €2 million (AU $3.12 million), and Jorge Messi facing a prison sentence of up to 18 months. Lionel is also likely to be asked to stand as witness in the trial against his own father, according to reports.

Messi has been living in Barcelona since 2000 and he became a Spanish citizen in 2005, although he still plays for his country of birth, Argentina, and even captains it currently. He is also on the Forbes’ list of world’s highest earning athletes in 10th position, having made an estimated £230 million (AU $488 million) in his professional career.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.