Lionel Messi 'swaps suspended prison sentence for a fine

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Lionel Messi will not spend any time in prison despite being found guilty of tax fraud after agreeing to pay an increased fine, according to reports in Spain.

The Barcelona superstar had been found guilty in July 2016, along with his father, of defrauding the Spanish authorities out of millions of Euros after hiding earnings from image rights in offshore accounts.

He was given 21 months in prison, however this was suspended, as Spanish law allows first time offenders like Messi to serve their time on probation, as long as the sentence is under two years in length.

Now, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the remainder of his sentence will be scrapped as the Argentine has agreed to pay an increased fine, rather than have the remaining months against his name.

Messi will pay 252,000 euros, while his father, Jorge Messi, will pay 180,000 euros. These amounts are similar to those paid by team mate Javier Mascherano, who was also found guilty of a similar crime in January 2016.

The forward's sentence had previously been upheld on appeal in May, but now the limited possibility that Messi might have been forced to spend time behind bars has now been removed entirely.
 




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