"Cristiano Ronaldo could face six years in jail"
José María Mollinedo, head of the Union of Tax Technicians, spoke to RAC 1 about the Ronaldo tax case : "From the reports, he's supposedly defrauded 160 million euros"
The general secretary of the union of Spanish tax technicians (GESTHA), José María Mollinedo, spoke in relation to reports published over recent days that Cristiano Ronaldo could have hidden 150 million euros in offshore accounts and avoided major amounts of tax in Spain, where he is tax resident. Mollinedo said, in an interview with radio station RAC1 that: "Cristiano Ronaldo could face six years in prison" if it were to be confirmed that he committed tax fraud.
GESTHA want prosecutors to look at Ronaldo case
GESTHA, in a statement released on Monday, said that, looking at the documentation published about Cristiano Ronaldo, there could be sufficient evidence for the case to be sent to the Spanish prosecution services, for them to decide whether or not a case should be filed against the Real Madrid striker.
Ronaldo's supposed tax fraud
Mollinedo, speaking to RAC 1, said: "from the reports about Cristiano Ronaldo it looks likely that he supposedly defrauded 160 million euros". "We would be looking at a case of aggravated tax fraud. That would mean a minimum prison sentence of, say, two years for each year of tax fraud. If the tax inspection open covers three years, as a minimum that would be six years of jail", he said.
The tax inspector clarified that if Ronaldo accepted the facts, and paid over any tax defrauded, this could see the punishment reduced by "two levels" within the Spanish system.
No favourable treatment for Real Madrid players
He also said that on the basis of the information reported "We think that the [Cristiano] case should go directly to the prosecution service". He concluded that, "We wouldn't be happy if there had been favourable treatment [for Madrid's players]".
