Javier Mascherano Handed One Year Jail Sentence For Fraud, Unlikely To Serve Single Second Of It (Video)

Alan Duffy

21st, January 2016

Barcelona and Argentina midfielder/defender Javier Mascherano is hoping to avoid the one-year jail sentence dished out to the star on Thursday, which relates to a rather sizeable 1.5m euro (£1.1m) tax fraud.

The 31-year-old had already admitted to two counts of fraud concerning his failure to declare his earnings in 2011 and 2012. However, on Thursday in the Court of Barcelona, the former Liverpool and West Ham man saw a one-year jail sentence, originally handed down in December, ratified by the court…

However, as Mascherano has already paid back the full amount of 1.5 million euros along with 200,000 euros in interest, the likelihood is that he’ll dodge any actually jail time (as is usually the case with the wealthy).

On Thursday, his defence team asked for the sentence to be suspended with a further fine of 21,600 euros to be paid by star instead. While the prosecutor accepted the plea, it’ll be up to the state attorney to give the final verdict, which is expected to give Mascherano and co. what they want.

After the hearing, Mascherano Tweeted the following statement…

I’m a sporting professional, I don’t have a great understanding of taxes and law. To deal with what are for me technical and complicated matters, I have to rely on other people.

Throughout all my career I have been an honest person, responsible and respectful of my team-mates and the clubs that I have played for and the countries I have lived in.

Justice, eh!

Posted in Barcelona, Newsnow, Videos

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