Ronaldo has until August 11 to claim extenuating circumstances
Cristiano Ronaldo could face a minimum of seven years in prison for four tax evasion offences totalling €14.7m. This could be reduced if he pays a fineChampions League semi-final draw: live online
Mónica Gómez Ferrer, the magistrate overseeing Cristiano Ronaldo’s testimony over accusations of tax fraud, has a deadline of six months to decide whether to refer the matter to the Upper Court in Madrid (TSJ). That is where cases are heard if the defendant faces a prison sentence of more than two years.
Although, if the magistrate declares that the case is particularly complex, that deadline could be extended to 18 months.
Jorge Mendes could be summoned to court
If Gómez Ferrer initiates the process, which is likely following Cristiano Ronaldo’s declaration in Madrid on Monday, she will call other people to court. It is possible that the magistrate will call Jorge Mendes, the Real Madrid star’s agent, to declare in the autumn, as well as Luis Correia, who is currently under investigation for his involvement in Radamel Falcao’s tax affairs.
Ronaldo mentioned other individuals in his declaration on Monday, and they may also be summoned: the Portuguese lawyer Carlos Osorio de Castro, and the British lawyer Chris Farnell, an advisor to Manchester United who oversaw the creation of Ronaldo’s tax framework in the British Virgin Islands while the player was with the Premier League club.
Ronaldo would face a minimum of 7 years
Cristiano Ronaldo would face a minimum sentence of seven years in prison for the four tax evasion offences that total €14.7m. Three of those offences carry minimum sentences of two to six years each.
That said, the judge could deem the circumstances to be extenuating, and as per a law introduced in 2013, reduce the sentence by half, or to a quarter, if Ronaldo pays the €14.7m plus a fine and interest. The Portuguese winger would need to accept the offences, and show willingness to take part in a ‘special collaboration’ with the Spanish justice system to clear up the facts. The deadline for initiating that course of action is August 11 2017.
