Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo on Monday "protested his innocence after testifying in court" against charges of evading €14.7M in taxes, according to Rik Sharma of REUTERS. Ronaldo, who was in the Pozuelo de Alarcon court for "about 90 minutes, declined to speak with reporters afterwards" but released a statement through his agency, Gestifute. Ronaldo said, "The Spanish tax authorities know my income detail, because we have given it to them. I have never hidden anything in my declarations, nor have I had the smallest intention of evading taxes. I always make my declarations voluntarily, because I think we all have to declare and pay tax in accordance to our incomes" (REUTERS, 7/31). In London, Stephen Burgen reported in a "rare attack of camera-shyness," Ronaldo "hid from the 200 journalists waiting outside the Madrid court where he is under investigation for tax evasion and then, having promised to make a statement, snuck back out without a word." He "disappointed waiting media and fans when he arrived at court via the back door." However, Ronaldo said that he would speak to the media after the hearing, and "journalists from some 20 countries waited for two hours" for him to appear. Instead they were presented with his media representative, Iñaki Torres, who was "roundly booed when he announced that Ronaldo had already left for home after the preliminary hearing, which was held in camera." Torres said, "He didn’t change his mind. This was always an alternative" (GUARDIAN, 7/31). The BBC reported prosecutors said that Ronaldo allegedly took "advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities," which was a "voluntary and conscious breach of his fiscal obligations in Spain." Ronaldo's management "denied the allegations." Sources said that if the case is sent to trial and he is found guilty, Ronaldo could face a fine of "at least" €28M ($33.12M) and a prison sentence of three-and-a-half years (BBC, 7/31).
