Ronaldo arrives at court to testify on tax fraud charges

[July 31, 2017]    POZUELO DE ALARCON, Spain (Reuters) - Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, accused of evading 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in taxes, arrived at the Pozuelo de Alarcon court on Monday to testify.

The car believed to be carrying Real Madrid's Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo enters a back door garage before he was to testify on charges of tax fraud in Pozuelo de Alarcon, outside Madrid, Spain, July 31, 2017. REUTERS/Susana Vera

The 32-year-old Portuguese has denied all the allegations through his agents.

If found guilty of hiding earnings from his image rights between 2011 and 2014, Ronaldo would face a large fine and a possible custodial sentence.

Spanish courts have recently cracked down on tax evasion among leading footballers.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi was handed a 21-month prison sentence this year on similar charges, although he is unlikely to serve any time in jail because Spanish law states that a sentence of under two years can be served as probation.

(Reporting by Rik Sharma, editing by Ed Osmond)

[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.