Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has appeared in court to answer charges of evading US$5 million in taxes in a case that stunned the sporting world.
Dressed in a dark jacket and white shirt, the 26-year-old Argentine international made no comment before or after the closed-door hearing on Friday at a court in Gava, the coastal suburb of Barcelona where he lives.
Testimony by the four-time winner of the Fifa World Player of the Year award revealed his desire to resolve the matter, Messi’s lawyer, Cristobal Martel, told reporters after the hearing.
“It showed little intent to defraud and great intent to resolve the situation with the tax office instead of entering into a bitter battle with the state,” the lawyer said.
Crowds of reporters and fans gathered outside the court where first Messi’s father Jorge Messi and then the player himself were quizzed on charges of evading tax on the striker’s image rights to the tune of 4.16 million euros.
They have denied wrongdoing, pointing the finger at a former agent of the player.