BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi and his father Jorge have been summoned by a Spanish court for questioning as part of an investigation into tax fraud allegations.
A court in Gava near Barcelona accepted a state prosecutor’s complaint alleging that Messi and his father defrauded the Spanish tax office of $5.3 million.
Messi and his father have been called to appear on Sept. 17. That will form part of an investigation to determine whether to officially charge them with tax evasion.
The court accepted the complaint lodged by prosecutor Raquel Amada on June 12 accusing the pair of not paying taxes from revenue earned from image rights on Messi’s returns from 2007 through 2009.
