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Shakira faces trial in Spain for tax evasion after her success at the Latin Grammys. The trial is set to begin on Monday in Barcelona. Prosecutors are seeking an eight-year and two-month jail term and a fine of nearly 24 million euros for tax evasion. Shakira has denied any wrongdoing and turned down a plea deal with prosecutors, resulting in the trial.

The case revolves around where the singer lived between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors claim that Shakira spent more than half of that time in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country. They say she moved to Spain after her relationship with FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique became public in 2011 but maintained official tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015.

Shakira’s lawyers argue that until 2014, she was leading a “nomadic life” and only moved permanently to Barcelona in January 2015. The trial is expected to hear from nearly 120 witnesses and is set to run until December 14. Despite the absence of the singer, details of her private life are likely to emerge during the proceedings, as Spanish prosecutors have carried out a meticulous investigation to prove their case.

Shakira’s finances have previously been under scrutiny. Questions about the singer’s wealth and tax avoidance strategies were revealed in the “Pandora Papers” leaks in 2021, related to her residence in the Bahamas. This development comes after Shakira claimed three awards at the Latin Grammy Awards held in Seville in southern Spain on Thursday.

The singer also performed twice at the event, including a rendition of her ballad “Acróstico” where she appeared on stage in a glittering gold high-cut gown adorned with an image of the Virgin Mary. She performed the song with her two sons which she had with Pique appearing in a pre-recorded video on screen to join her in singing it.