Real Madrid and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly accepted a two-year prison sentence in order to settle his tax evasion court case.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was taken to task last June after being accused of defrauding the Spanish government of £12.9m by prosecutors. And despite having denied wrongdoing from the onset, he is understood to have accepted a suspended prison sentence as he looks to bring an end to proceedings. According to El Mundo, the player has admitted his guilt and has agreed to the above. He will also pay the sum of £16.4m.The Portuguese’s first settlement offer was rejected by prosecutors, but they have finally found common ground. And, as a result of the player being a first-time offender, he won’t be spending any time behind bars; although that could change if he is taken to task for subsequent infractions within the set, two-year period.
The Madrid man’s lawyers had initially claimed that the player “didn’t break any laws, all he did was follow criteria that the tax inspectors don’t like.” However, Ronaldo has decided that accepting a sentence and settling financially will be the best way forward. He was firstly ordered to pay the entire sum owed up front but all parties have agreed on Ronaldo paying just £5m in the first instance, with the remainder to be handed over in the form of fines and interests over time.
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